Gas supply to industrial units to be resumed next week.

Byline: Khalid Hasnain

LAHORE -- The government on Saturday said that supply of natural gas to general industrial units, mainly in Punjab, would be restored from Tuesday following resumption of supply from the Mol gas field and provision of increased amounts of Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG).

The restoration of supply to the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) sector is also expected within the next week, subject to consistent supply of indigenous gas and RLNG into the system, according to official sources in the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL).

'Since supply to zero-rated export industry (carpets and textile, sports and surgical goods plus leather) has been continuing, it has been decided that supply of RLNG to the general industry will be restored from Tuesday, Dec 31.

'The decision had been taken in view of resumption of gas supply from the MOL gas field as well as increased RLNG supply,' the sources said.

CNG sector will also start getting natural gas soon

'Supply to CNG stations will be restored soon after that. Suspension of supply or reduction in the amounts supplied to the general industry, the CNG sector and some power plants was necessitated due to record low temperatures recorded in December this year. Also, the supply of RLNG to the domestic consumers had to be increased to 500MMCFD in the last week of this month, against the average consumption during last December of only 150MMCFD, owing to drastic change in weather. 'The company (SNGPL) is undertaking all efforts to ensure supply of gas to high-priority domestic consumers,' the sources added.

According to an official in the ministry of energy (power division), the company at present is receiving 2,148MMCFD of gas, including 958MMCFD of indigenous gas, 1,075MMCFD of RLNG and 115MMCFD of gas due to increase in the pressure line pack in the system. Another 170MMCFD is being supplied exclusively to independent power producers and fertiliser industry, etc, through dedicated pipelines. Thus, 2,148MMCFD is being supplied to the domestic, power and zero-rated industrial sectors.

'So, at present there is no gas shortfall,' the official claimed. Restoration of gas supply to the CNG sector would also be done after resumption of supply to the general industry.

The Mol gas field in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resumed its operations at the optimum level of 325MMCFD on Thursday...