No gas, low gas pressure irk masses on first day of Ramazan

ISLAMABAD: In the wake of the non-availability of 40-45mmcfd gas from the Gambat gasfield in Sindh and 265mmcfd gas shortfall in the Sui Southern system, people in many pockets of mega cities like Karachi, Hyderabad, Quetta, Awaran, Chaman, and Ziarat experienced no gas or gas with low pressure on the first day of Ramazan.

The SSGC spokesman’s attention was drawn to the media reports that in Karachi alone, gas in North Nazimabad, New Karachi, Nagin Chowrangi, North Nazimabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, and others had been suspended since 8am.

The spokesman said that Sui Southern is facing a 265mmcfd shortfall because of 8-10 percent depletion in gas reserves on annual basis. Currently, the demand in Sui Southern system stands at 1.165bcfd and the current gas share in system of Sui Southern stands at 8-10mmcfd and 90mmcfd RLNG. “This is how the 900mmcfd gas is available against the demand of 1.166bcfd.

He said Balochistan is currently being provided 109mmcfd gas, adding it is facing a shortfall because of an increase in demand. In the winter season, it was being provided 200mmcfd gas. Winter spell in the wake of rains in various areas of Balochistan, particularly in Quetta and Ziarat, has caused a surge in gas demand due to which the people in Ziarat and Quetta suffered from the non-availability of gas on the first day of of Ramazan.

“The non-availability of gas at Gambat gasfield has also aggravated the crisis,” he said, and added PLL (Pakistan LNG Limited) is bound to provide the RLNG up to 150mmcfd to K-Electric for power generation which oscillates depending upon the demand for electricity in Karachi. Currently, KE is being provided 60mmcfd RLNG as power generation demand has reduced to 1700MW in KE system.

In the Sui Northern system, RLNG flow to the domestic sector in Punjab and KP has squeezed to nominal as the summer season has set in and its flow has increased to the power sector to 450-500mmcfd and the remaining RLNG is being consumed by export and local industry.

In Sui Northern, domestic demand and consumption are equal and in the wake of the perpetual dip in temperature and snowfall in Northern areas for many days, the demand has increased to the level of the winter season there so people in the northern part of the country are facing pressure issues.

According to reports, in northern Punjab and the whole KP, masses in many areas of various cities such as Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, and others faced hardships because of the non-availability of gas or gas flow with low-pressure.

The Sui Northern officials said that the sudden dip in temperature in the central, northern part of the country in the wake of the chill wave coupled with rain spells and abrupt announcement about the advent of Ramazan did not provide time enough to the gas utilities to prepare the plan to provide gas with required pressure. There will be gas supply with the required gas pressure from today (Friday). Sui Northern will reset the pressure system for six hours and people will be provided gas at Sehri and Iftari time with full pressure.