Gas shortfall this winter likely to soar on record level

LAHORE: The country could face an intense gas shortage crisis in the winter, citing sources of the gas utility, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

“The consumers should get prepare to face the gas crisis,” sources at the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) said.

“Presently the country’s gas production is 750 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d), while the imported RLNG has been around 1000 MMcfd,” the gas utility sources said.

“The gas demand has started rising and the shortfall is likely to soar to its highest level,” according to sources.

“Currently the gas supply has been 1700 MMcfd, while the demand has soared above 2500 million cubic feet per day,” sources said.

“Domestic consumers in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces will likely to get gas three times in a day, while supplying gas to the industrial and commercial sector will be difficult,” according to sources.

“The orders of imported LNG has been curtailed owing to very expansive rates,” sources said.

“SNGPL has informed the chambers of commerce about the impending gas crisis,” source said.

“No attention given to discover new gas deposits, while our local reserves of gas will likely to be dried in the next few years,” sources added.

The gas shortfall of Sui Northern and Southern gas companies could increase to 1.2 billion cubic feet. Supply of LNG to domestic consumers up to 350 mmcfd has been proposed by the ministry.

According to sources, it has been proposed to halt gas supply to commercial consumers from November 1 and shift them to the LNG.

Gas supply to CNG sector will also be halted in the upcoming winter season due to expected shortage.

Sources in the petroleum division say that the implementation of the gas load management plan has been proposed from November 1. After the approval from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the plan will be enforced.