Pakistan Oilfields announced a significant oil and gas discovery in its Ikhlas Block, located in northern Potwar, about eighty three kilometers southwest of Islamabad in Attock District. The block is located in a prospective but geologically very complex area, surrounded by a number of major oil discoveries.

The well was drilled down to base Paleocene, with a total depth of 18,497 feet, to test Eocene and Paleocene carbonate reservoirs. During production testing significant amount of hydrocarbons were encountered in Sakessar, Nammal (Eocene) and Patala (Paleocene) formations.

Structurally, Jhandial is a thrusted anticline just north of Dhurnal Oil Field. It has a closed area of about 15 sq kms in most likely case, with a thick net reservoir column from top Chorgali Formation (Eocene) to base Paleocene. The Jhandial discovery will have a considerable impact on the future exploratory efforts in the block and surrounding areas.

POL holds 80% share, while Attock Oil Company (AOC) has a 20% share in Ikhlas Block.