SNGPL cracks down on theft

MD urges nation to reduce dependency on gas, transform consumption habits

LAHORE:

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) Managing Director, Amer Tufail, addressed a press conference on Thursday, shedding light on the critical issue of gas theft and the company’s concerted efforts to combat this menace while ensuring efficient gas utilisation in the nation.

Tufail began by highlighting a stark reality: the local share of gas in the total energy system is dwindling steadily, with imports now constituting a significant 50% of the gas supply. In response to this, he emphasised the urgency of transforming our energy consumption habits.

Underlining the seriousness of the situation, Tufail affirmed that gas theft remains a grave concern, and the government is resolute in its determination to eradicate this issue.

Over the past three years, SNGPL has filed 803 FIRs against gas theft. During this period, a staggering 325,000 gas theft cases were identified, leading to the recovery of Rs2.4 billion from those involved in these illicit activities. Additionally, the company has made commendable strides in reducing Unaccounted-for Gas (UFG) during the past four years.

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Tufail announced that the federal government had set a UFG reduction target of 18 billion cubic feet (BCF) over three years, from FY 2019-20 to FY 2021-22. Remarkably, SNGPL surpassed this target, achieving a reduction of 23 BCF, resulting in savings of approximately Rs12.5 billion for the national exchequer.

Addressing law and order challenges in oil and gas-producing areas, particularly Karak and adjacent regions in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Tufail commended the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies, the federal government, the Ministry of Energy, provincial authorities, and local administration. These combined efforts led to a significant 66% reduction in gas loss in these areas.

Tufail also discussed the vital role of technology in curbing gas theft. Real-time monitoring through SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) has empowered SNGPL to detect theft and under-billing by industrial consumers promptly. SNGPL has addressed leakages across 87,000 kilometres of its network during the last three years.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2023.

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