Federal Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain dropped a bomb during the Senate session on Thursday, telling the members of the Upper House of parliament that the people of the country would have to face the “worst gas load shedding” during the upcoming months of December and January, surpassing the level of load shedding consumers suffered last year.
“Keeping in view the expected gas shortage, we are working out a gas load management plan for December and January to avoid any challenging situation. Yes, the country is facing severe gas crisis in the short-term but prospects for the long-term are brighter,” the minister said in response to various questions raised by the senators during the question hour.
The minister stated that there was no foreign pressure on Pakistan vis-à-vis the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline and the project might be completed ahead of schedule by the end of 2013. He said that tender notice for pipes and compressors, which were major components of the project, would be floated this month and orders would be placed according to the schedule.
“Two prerequisites of the pipeline suppliers have already been made and the companies have been shortlisted. Two financial advisers for the project have also been identified,” he added.
Elaborating on the project, the minister stated that the pipeline from Iran would flow through the coastal highway, Kirther and Nawabshah and areas falling on the route would be provided electricity and gas to some extent.
The minister said the Turkmenistan gas pipeline project had also taken a leap forward. He said a new petroleum exploration and production policy was being worked out to provide additional incentives to the investors for exploration of oil and gas in the country.
He said there had been a new gas reservoir discovery in Balochistan at Zin Block and it was hoped that it might be as rich a reservoir as was Sui.
