Economic Survey 2025-26 shows falling gas and crude oil output despite growth in coal and several key minerals
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s natural gas extraction declined by 3.7% during the first nine months (July–March) of FY2025-26, underscoring the continued depletion of mature gas fields and the mounting challenges facing the country’s energy sector.
According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2025-26, natural gas production stood at 772,000 million cubic feet (MMCFT) during July–March FY2025-26, compared with 802,000 MMCFT in the corresponding period of FY2024-25.
The survey further revealed that annual natural gas production dropped to 1,053,000 MMCFT in FY2024-25 from 1,141,000 MMCFT in FY2023-24, highlighting a sustained decline in Pakistan’s indigenous gas output.
The continued fall in domestic production has increased Pakistan’s dependence on imported energy, particularly liquefied natural gas (LNG), to meet rising demand from households, industries and power generation.
Crude oil production also declines
Crude oil extraction also recorded a modest decline during the review period. Production stood at 17.4 million barrels during July–March FY2025-26, compared with 17.5 million barrels in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, representing a 0.6% decrease.
The downward trend was also evident on an annual basis, with crude oil production falling to 22.8 million barrels in FY2024-25 from 25.8 million barrels in FY2023-24.
Coal production records healthy growth
In contrast to hydrocarbons, Pakistan’s coal sector posted positive growth. Coal extraction increased by 6.5% to 14.29 million metric tonnes during July–March FY2025-26, compared with 13.42 million metric tonnes in the same period of the previous fiscal year.
The increase reflects continued expansion in domestic coal production, which has gained importance in meeting the country’s energy requirements.
Mixed performance across the mining sector
The Economic Survey reported varied performance across Pakistan’s mining industry, with several minerals registering robust growth while others recorded sharp declines.
Among the strongest-performing minerals, rock salt production surged 109.9% to 4.79 million tonnes, while gypsum output rose 67.0% to 2.31 million tonnes. Iron ore production increased 41.5% to 626,200 tonnes, and ocher extraction climbed 31.7%.
Similarly, limestone production grew 25.1% to 61.28 million tonnes, dolomite output expanded 17.3%, and magnesite production jumped 164.8%, albeit from a relatively small production base.
However, several mineral segments experienced notable declines. Chromite production fell 51.3%, sulphur extraction declined 68.0%, soap stone production dropped 24.7%, barytes output decreased 20.7%, while marble production slipped 2.6% during the period under review.
The Economic Survey 2025-26 indicates that although Pakistan’s mining sector achieved strong growth in several minerals, the persistent decline in natural gas and crude oil production remains a major concern for the country’s energy security. The figures underscore the need to accelerate exploration activities, develop new hydrocarbon reserves and strengthen long-term energy planning to reduce reliance on imported fuels.