HYDERABAD: The prevailing gas crisis will ease by the end of 2013 following addition of 2.6 billion cubic feet of gas in the system, the Federal Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain said on Thursday.
The promised increase will include 1,058 million cubic feet per day of gas produced locally and over 1.5 bcf of imported gas from projects which are yet to materialise, Hussain further said.
The minister painted this rosy picture of gas sufficiency while speaking at the inauguration of 100 mmcfd of gas supply from Kunar-Pasakhi gas field in Tandojam.
The inauguration of the Rs1.49 billion project located in Tandojam was performed by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani at Sui Southern Gas Company office in Deh Bukhari, Hyderabad.
The SSGC will share 50 mmcfd from the supply with its counterpart Sui Northern Gas Company Limited to ease shortage in Punjab. “We inherited an energy crisis when we came to power but we will ensure that the next governments do not face the same,” Gilani assured. “Pakistan is endowed with all kinds of natural resources, the need is to harness them at the right time.”
The field was discovered eight years ago but work was delayed due to litigation. According to SSGC Managing Director Azeem Iqbal Siddiqui, the project will benefit up to 2.5 million consumers and produce 387 tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and 400 tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Production from the field will eventually rise to 300 mmcfd in the subsequent phases of development.
The natural resources minister said the present government will give a plan of action for five and ten years for energy production. According to him, current projects under development in Sindh and Balochistan will contribute over 1,058 mmcfd in the next two years. He expects another 1 bcf from Iran over the next year besides LNG import of 500 mmcfd.
LNG import arrives
Hussain informed that the first shipment of LNG from Qatar has arrived at the LNG Terminal, built at the cost of Rs225 million at Karachi port. It will produce 150 tons of bottled LNG per day for supply in the market. “Qatar has agreed to fulfill our complete LNG requirements,” he added.
The compressed natural gas (CNG) dealers, however, consider LNG import for use in vehicles as unfavourable to their business. It will also increase the cost of fuel, they say. “As Sindh consumes hardly one-third of the gas the province produces, the use of LNG should be restricted to Punjab,” says Sindh CNG Association Chairman Zulfiqar Yousfani citing Article 158 of the Constitution. The association also sees vested interest rather than national interest behind LNG import.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 13th, 2012.
COMMENTS (4)
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LNG is just liquified natural gas. It cannot be used as 'bottled gas'. It will be converted back to its gaseous form and either piped directly to the industrial consumers or SSGC network will be used. And pretty much any import of gas will increase over all gas prices in the country because imported gas is more expensive than locally produced gas pricing
PPP Govt's slogan since last four years, "Everything will be OK by next year"...
A Big Lie. The government knows they will be removed soon so they want to tell people in next elections that they were not allowed to complete their term and they still had a year to solve issues. That is a Lie!
They have been saying this for 4 years now.