Gas shortage: CNG station closure schedule announced

KARACHI:

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations in Sindh will remain closed from 12 midnight to 6am from April 12 to 15 because of closure of a major gas field, according to All Pakistan CNG Association Chairman Junaid Makda.

The closure due to maintenance is aimed at saving 10 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas owing to maintenance of Bhit gas field, which will last 22 days. Bhit is one of the top three fields supplying gas to the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC).

At a meeting between SSGC officials and CNG stations representatives, it was also decided to keep stations closed from 12 midnight to 6am, from April 18 to 22, and from April 25 to 27.

Earlier, SSGC had asked its customers to save gas on a voluntary basis due to the 22-day annual turnaround (ATA) of the gas field.

CNG stations in Sindh consume 74 mmcfd of gas and have been asked to save at least 10 mmcfd. Out of 533 CNG outlets in the province, 288 alone are situated in Karachi.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th,  2011.