Industry — Kohat Division
Five districts — Hangu, Karak, Kohat, Kurram, and Orakzai — an energy-extraction economy built on oil, gas, coal, gypsum, and cement, with formal manufacturing concentrated almost entirely in Kohat district.
Kohat Division’s economy is dominated by oil, gas, coal, and gypsum extraction rather than manufacturing. Industry is largely confined to Kohat district, while Hangu, Kurram, and Orakzai have virtually no organized industrial estates.
Sector overview
| Sector | Major products / activity | Key districts |
|---|---|---|
| Oil & gas | Exploration and production — TAL Block, Nashpa Field, and new discoveries | Kohat, Karak, Hangu |
| Mining | Coal, gypsum, limestone, salt, silica sand, chromate, marble, uranium | Karak, Kohat, Kurram |
| Cement | Large-scale integrated cement manufacturing | Kohat |
| Food processing | Flour mills, ice factories (small-scale) | Hangu, Karak, Kohat, Kurram, Orakzai |
| Light manufacturing | Textiles, carpets, arms & sporting goods, handicrafts (mazri palm, Kohati chappal) | Kohat, Kurram |
Energy sector — oil & gas
TAL Block
Spans Kohat, Karak, and Hangu districts (and part of North Waziristan). Processed through the Manzalai Central Processing Facility, Makori Gas Processing Facility, and the Tolanj Processing Facility.
Nashpa Field — Karak district
Operated by OGDCL in joint venture with PPL and GHPL. The integrated gas-processing facility, commissioned in February 2018, handles approximately 98 MMscfd of gas, 18,000 barrels/day of crude and condensate, and 350 metric tons/day of LPG.
Baragzai Discovery — Kohat district
OGDCL’s Baragzai X-01 well in the Nashpa Block, spudded December 2024, reached commercial production through 2025-26. Output rose from approximately 2,280 barrels/day of oil and 5.6 MMSCFD of gas at first test (December 2025) to approximately 15,000 barrels/day of oil and 45 MMSCFD of gas by later development phases (April 2026) — reported by OGDCL as one of its largest single-well discoveries. OGDCL holds the largest working interest, with PPL and Government Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd. as partners.
Note: Production figures for a newly-commissioned well change quickly as appraisal wells and field-development plans proceed; the April 2026 figures are the most recent reported, not a stabilized long-term rate.
Mining by district
| District | Mining activity |
|---|---|
| Hangu | Iron ore and marble mined; coal presence indicated in upper formations but not yet commercially developed; oil and gas under exploration in the TAL Block |
| Karak | Coal, gypsum, iron ore, dolomite, limestone, rock salt, and silica sand; hosts the country’s largest uranium mines (Atomic Energy Commission of Pakistan); salt quarries at Bahadur Khel and Jatta Ismail Khel |
| Kohat | Coal, gypsum, limestone, shale clay, and silica sand mined commercially; oil and gas extraction ongoing |
| Kurram | Chromate, soapstone, and coal mined commercially; marble potential identified but not yet exploited |
| Orakzai | Coal is the only commercially mined mineral at present (169 registered coal-extraction units); copper and marble potential identified |
Kohat Cement Company Limited
Kohat Cement, the division’s largest industrial employer and a PSX-listed company, operates a major cement plant with around 5 million tons/year grey-cement capacity. Established in 1984 and privatized in 1992, it has expanded into one of northern Pakistan’s leading cement producers, adding 10MW of solar power to reduce energy dependence.
Small industries & industrial infrastructure
| District | Estates / zones | Registered units |
|---|---|---|
| Hangu | No industrial estate | 4 (all flour mills) |
| Karak | 3 small estates: Small Industries Estate, Woodworking Center, Ready-Made Garments Center | 5 |
| Kohat | 1 Small Industries Estate (plus former FR Kohat units) | 19 in Kohat district + 532 in former FR Kohat (2013-14 count, mostly arms/ammunition workshops) |
| Kurram | No industrial estate | 50 registered, 24 working |
| Orakzai | No industrial estate | 170 registered, 136 working (dominated by 169 coal-extraction units) |
District industry profiles
Hangu District
Hangu’s economy centers on oil, gas, coal, and limestone resource potential, with iron ore and marble mining and oil/gas exploration under the TAL Block.
| Activity | Detail |
|---|---|
| Resource potential | Oil, gas, coal, and limestone |
| Mining | Iron ore and marble mined; coal in upper formations not yet commercially developed |
| Oil & gas | Exploration under the TAL Block |
| Registered industrial units | 4 (all flour mills) — the district’s only registered industrial units |
Karak District
Karak holds vast oil, natural gas, and salt mineral reserves, including the country’s largest uranium mines.
| Activity | Detail |
|---|---|
| Oil & gas | TAL Block; Nashpa Field (OGDCL joint venture with PPL and GHPL) |
| Mining | Coal, gypsum, iron ore, dolomite, limestone, rock salt, silica sand; largest uranium mines in Pakistan (Atomic Energy Commission of Pakistan); salt quarries at Bahadur Khel and Jatta Ismail Khel |
| Industrial estates | 3 small estates — Small Industries Estate, Woodworking Center, Ready-Made Garments Center |
| Registered units | 5 (flour mills 4, ice factory 1) |
Kohat District — divisional headquarters
Kohat District hosts the division’s principal energy, cement, and light-manufacturing base.
| Activity | Detail |
|---|---|
| Oil & gas | TAL Block; Baragzai X-01 well (Nashpa Block) |
| Cement | Kohat Cement Company Limited |
| Mining | Coal, gypsum, limestone, shale clay, and silica sand |
| Light manufacturing | Textiles, carpets, Kohati chappal, mazri-palm handicrafts |
| Industrial estate | 1 Small Industries Estate (plus former FR Kohat units) |
| Registered units | 19 in Kohat district + 532 in former FR Kohat (2013-14 count, mostly arms/ammunition workshops) |
| District industry counts | Flour mills 9, cement-based 2, ice factories 3, textile mills 3, carpet 1, cement 1 |
Kurram District
Kurram’s economy depends on agriculture and cross-border trade with Afghanistan, alongside coal and mineral extraction.
| Activity | Detail |
|---|---|
| Base economy | Agriculture and cross-border trade with Afghanistan |
| Mining | Chromate, soapstone, and coal; marble potential identified but not yet exploited |
| Industrial units | 50 registered, 24 working — Food & beverages 6, coal extraction 6, ice factories 4, sporting/hunting arms 3, plastic goods 3, candles 3, plus ~20 other single-unit categories |
| Industrial estate | No industrial estate |
Orakzai District
Coal mining is currently Orakzai’s only significant commercial mineral activity, alongside identified copper and marble potential.
| Activity | Detail |
|---|---|
| Mining | Coal is the only commercially mined mineral at present (169 registered coal-extraction units); copper and marble potential identified |
| Industrial units | 170 registered, 136 working — Coal extraction 169, stone crushing 1 |
| Industrial estate | No industrial estate |
Population by district (2023 Census)
Registered industrial units by district
District industry profile (summary)
| District | Major industrial activities |
|---|---|
| Hangu | Flour mills (4, only registered units); iron ore and marble mining; TAL Block oil/gas exploration |
| Karak | TAL Block and Nashpa Field oil/gas; coal, gypsum, uranium and rock-salt mining; 3 small industrial estates |
| Kohat | TAL Block and Baragzai oil/gas; Kohat Cement; coal/gypsum/limestone mining; textiles, carpets, light manufacturing |
| Kurram | Chromate, soapstone and coal mining; food & beverages, ice factories, small arms and plastic-goods units |
| Orakzai | Coal extraction (169 registered units, dominant activity); stone crushing |
Economic impact
| Indicator | Status |
|---|---|
| Employment | Energy and mining (oil, gas, coal, gypsum, salt) are the division’s principal industrial employers; formal manufacturing employment is minor outside the Kohat Cement workforce |
| Exports | Crude oil and natural gas feed the national grid rather than being processed locally; cement is exported in addition to domestic dispatch |
| Growth potential | Value-addition of oil/gas/gypsum locally (rather than raw extraction), expansion of Kohat’s small industrial estate, and formalizing FR-Kohat’s large but informal arms-manufacturing base are recurring themes |
Growth opportunities
- Local value-addition: Processing of oil, gas, and gypsum instead of raw extraction.
- Industrial estate expansion: Expansion of Kohat’s Small Industries Estate.
- Formalization: Formalizing FR-Kohat’s informal arms-manufacturing base.
- Cement exports: Cement export growth alongside domestic dispatch.
- Renewable energy: Solar-powered industrial generation, following Kohat Cement’s 10 MW example.
Key notes — Kohat Division
- Kohat District is the division’s industrial core — the only district with Kohat Cement, a Small Industries Estate, and light manufacturing (textiles, carpets, handicrafts).
- Karak and Hangu form the division’s oil & gas and coal core, anchored by the TAL Block and Nashpa Field.
- Kurram and Orakzai have thin, largely informal industrial bases centered on coal, chromate, and soapstone extraction, with no organized industrial estates.
- The division’s industrial future depends on local value-addition of oil, gas, and gypsum rather than raw extraction, plus formalization of informal manufacturing units such as FR-Kohat’s arms workshops.
Division total: Kohat Division’s economy is dominated by oil, gas, coal, and gypsum extraction rather than manufacturing. Industry is largely confined to Kohat district, while Hangu, Kurram, and Orakzai have virtually no organized industrial estates.