To allay provinces’ concerns, Centre allows access to oil, gas data

Move comes after K-P, Sindh accused Punjab of consuming their gas

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has agreed to allow Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) access to real-time oil and gas production and consumption data in a bid to settle a dispute with the province over the use of gas being produced from its fields, sources say.

The consent came after K-P and Sindh approached the federal government for access to real-time hydrocarbon production data from their fields and the data of natural gas consumption. Sindh even suggested that figures should be emailed to them as well as uploaded on the energy ministry's website.



The Inter Provincial Coordination Committee, in its meeting on October 9, had decided that a proper mechanism for sharing oil and gas production data may be established with the provinces after holding consultative meetings with them.

The committee also directed the Petroleum Division to ensure that the data was uploaded on its website every week and was simultaneously emailed to energy secretaries of the provinces.

K-P and Sindh came up with the data-sharing demand following allegations about the use of their gas by energy-starved Punjab. They argued that they had the first right of use under Article 158 of the Constitution, which allows gas-producing provinces to meet their needs before giving the energy to other provinces.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the sources revealed that the Council of Common Interests (CCI) in its meeting held last month had considered a summary prepared by the K-P government and approved its request for access to real-time oil and gas production data and gas consumption in the province.

The CCI directed the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) to immediately install the required software in the energy and power departments for ascertaining the provision and consumption of gas by all provinces.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) was directed to immediately allow the energy and power departments to check for accuracy of the metering mechanism.

At present, there is no mechanism in place for the provinces to monitor the day-to-day oil and gas production from various fields. Although federal government departments have the software to monitor the data, it is not being shared with the provinces despite requests for installation of the software by the provincial energy departments.



Sindh is a major gas producer which along with other producers wants the central government to allocate them gas from the fields located in their respective provinces to meet the demand.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi seeking allocation of natural gas from old and new wellheads located in the province so that requirements of power, fertiliser, industrial, domestic and commercial consumers could be met.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2017.

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