ISLAMABAD – A meeting, called to sort out differences on gas load management, unanimously decided to share 25 percent of gas shortage until June 30. However, the final plan would be fine-tuned on April 20.
The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) authorities informed the meeting that the company was supplying 1.85 billion cubic feet of gas per day (bcfd) to its consumers and was facing a shortfall of 400mcfd. The meeting was chaired by Minister for Water and Power Naveed Qamar and was attended by representatives of fertiliser, textile and power sectors as well as FPCCI.
After the meeting, Qamar told reporters that it was decided that gas shortage would be equally shared by all sectors. He said a technical committee would form guidelines on the gas load management on Monday in Lahore while the final decision would be made on Wednesday. All Pakistan CNG Association representative Ghiyas Paracha said CNG stations’ strike they had called off their strike for the next ten days during which their gas curtailment issues were promised to be sorted out.
An official source said that the meeting decided that there would be no gas curtailment for the 17 percent residential consumers and 28.3 percent independent power producers. Due to the severe criticism by the industry representatives, the minister directed the gas utility companies to draw their plan of action to reduce their unaccounted for gas losses.
Engro CEO Asad Umar sought uninterrupted gas supplies for his company’s gas plant in Sindh from the SNGPL, claiming that under the constitution an industry located in a province producing gas had the first right for gas. APCNGA representatives, who had made their participation in the meeting due to a special letter from the FPCCI, questioned the demand by saying that they should get their supplies from SSGCL, which supplies gas in the province.
