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The publications in this series record the work and thinking of IWMI researchers, and knowledge that the Institute's scientific management feels is worthy of documenting. This series will ensure that scientific data and other information gathered or prepared as a part of the research work of the Institute are recorded and referenced. Working Papers could include project reports, case studies, conference or workshop proceedings, discussion papers or reports on progress of research, country-specific research reports, monographs, etc. Working Papers may be copublished, by IWMI and partner organizations.Although most of the reports are published by IWMI staff and their collaborators, we welcome contributions from others. Each report is reviewed internally by IWMI staff. The reports are published and distributed both in hard copy and electronically (www.iwmi.org) and where possible all data and analyses will be available as separate downloadable files. Reports may be copied freely and cited with due acknowledgment. About IWMIIWMI's mission is to provide evidence-based solutions to sustainably manage water and land resources for food security, people's livelihoods and the environment. IWMI works in partnership with governments, civil society and the private sector to develop scalable agricultural water management solutions that have a tangible impact on poverty reduction, food security and ecosystem health.

Southern Indus Basin is one of the promising regions in Pakistan as a commercially producing oil and gas perspective. The current research presents the geochemical characterization of the Ranikot Formation shales from Southern Indus Basin based on total organic carbon (TOC), Rock-Eval (RE) pyrolysis, organic petrography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. The average TOC of Ranikot shale is 4.6 wt. %, indicating very good hydrocarbon potential. Types III/IV kerogens were identified in Ranikot shale. The maceral data also suggest that the Type of kerogen present in Ranikot shale is dominantly Types II-III, with the minor occurrence of Type IV. The vitrinite reflectance, pyrolysis Tmax and methylphenanthrene indices values specify immature levels of the shales. The normal alkane data reflect that marine macrophyte, algae, and land plants were contributed to the organic matter of Ranikot shales. Dibenzothiophene/phenanthrene ratio (0.11), phytane/n-C18 ratio (0.53), pyrite, and glauconite elucidate that the depositional environment of the Ranikot shale is marine. The XRD analysis of the shale from the Ranikot Formation revealed that it is brittle shale and dominated by 39.5 to 50.9 wt. % quartz. The present study, integration with the US EIA report demarcated the Ranikot Formation influential horizon as a shale gas resource.

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