Blog · 12 October 2026 · 8 min read

AI in Pakistan's oil and gas industry: where to start in 2026

Pakistan's oil and gas sector runs on experienced people, ageing equipment and a great deal of paperwork: daily reports, overhaul plans, tenders and procedures. AI can take a large share of that paperwork off engineers' desks, in English and in Urdu, without new infrastructure.

Where AI helps first

• Drilling: daily drilling report summaries, well comparisons and end-of-well reports.
• Maintenance and overhauls: scopes, cost per equipment item, manpower, schedules and progress tracking.
• Tenders and proposals: reading terms of reference, building compliance matrices and cost sheets.
• Training: drilling fundamentals, well control, Excel and finance for non-finance staff.

Language matters

Engineers in Pakistan often think and speak in Urdu while using English drilling terms. An assistant must understand that mix when it is spoken, write Urdu in Urdu script, and answer in English or Urdu as the engineer prefers.

Ageing rigs and the overhaul opportunity

Much of the onshore fleet has worked for many years, so overhaul and refurbishment of hoisting, rotating and handling equipment is steady work for service companies. AI shortens the planning: scope, inspection steps per API RP 8B, cost per item and a schedule, kept consistent from the first estimate to the investor deck.

Practical first steps

1. Pick one rig, one well or one overhaul and upload its documents.
2. Write the project facts once: currency (PKR or USD), scope, exclusions.
3. Ask for the outputs you produce every week and compare the time taken.
4. Replace planning rates with your own workshop and manpower rates.

ChatPetroleum answers in English and Urdu, understands mixed Urdu and English voice, and searches the web for current Pakistan market news with sources.