Gas supply raised to 746mmcfd on winter demand surge

Petroleum minister orders weekly monitoring, weighs diverting gas from industry to households

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik on Thursday directed gas utilities to take immediate steps to ease supply pressures on domestic consumers as severe cold weather pushed up demand across the country.

Chairing a meeting with senior officials of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), the minister took notice of complaints from household consumers facing gas shortages during peak winter conditions. According to an official statement, Malik stressed that providing relief to domestic consumers remained the government's top priority and instructed the Sui companies to ensure maximum facilitation for households.

To strengthen oversight, the minister directed that weekly reports on gas demand and supply be submitted to the Petroleum Division, supported by daily operational-level monitoring. Officials informed the meeting that a detailed report on the previous 24 hours' gas supply situation is already being presented to the division daily at 10am to allow timely corrective measures.

Briefing the meeting, the managing director of SNGPL said gas supply had been increased from 691 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) to 746mmcfd since January 6. He added that production from the Shiva gas field had been raised from 55mmcfd to 65mmcfd, contributing to improved availability. The minister asked officials to explore all possible options to further reduce pressure on domestic consumers. He directed that the feasibility of diverting additional gas from the industrial sector to households be examined wherever possible during the critical winter period.

The managing director of SSGC told the meeting that the supply situation had improved after the restoration of output from two gas fields. He said an additional 39mmcfd was being supplied to domestic consumers compared to the same period last year. He also informed participants that consultations were underway with industrial stakeholders on the possibility of increasing weekly industrial gas shutdowns from one day to two days to prioritise household consumption.