SNGPL suspends gas supply to general industry, CNG sector.

Byline: Fawad Yousafzai

ISLAMABAD -- Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) Thursday suspended gas supply to industrial (excluding export oriented industry) and CNG sectors in Punjab/federal capital immediately.

The closure of gas supply to industrial (excluding export oriented industry), CNG sectors in Punjab and federal capital is part of winter load management plan 2019-20 of the SNGPL.

'We have lost another 150 MMCF from our pack during last 24 hours. Current pack has now gone below 3800 MMCF which is detrimental for the smooth operation of our transmission and distribution system,' SNGPL said in a letter to Secretary Petroleum Division.

Hence, immediate intervention is required to stabilize the system or we risk system collapse which may take longer time for recovery besides non supply of gas to vast areas especially tail end areas throughout our area of franchise, the letter added.

'In view of the above acute situation, we are left with no option but to proceed with suspension of gas supply to industrial (excluding export oriented industry) and CNG sectors in Punjab, immediately for few days, on an interim basis to avert merit down of our transmission system,' the letter maintained.

'We strongly condemn this approach. CNG sector is the only sector that is using RLNG and paying all dues in full. And is still not given priority over the sectors that are using RLNG but neither it is subsidized by the government or they are not paying the full dues due to one reason or the other,' said All Pakistan CNG Association in a letter to secretary Petroleum Division.

The letter further said that 'Such closure of CNG sector adversely affects our clientele that shift to other fuels. Closure of 15 days last year due to the inefficiency of SNGPL caused us to lose more...