First phase of 116-km Hyderabad to Karachi gas supply project inaugurated

KARACHI: The first phase of the Hyderabad-to-Karachi 116-km gas transmission project was inaugurated at Jhampir (Rs-4) near Thatta by the managing director of the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), said a press release issued by the gas utility on Wednesday.

The SSGC successfully completed the 30” dia. x 32-km pipeline project from the Main Valve Assembly (MVA) Baran to RS-4 in a record time of 40 days to provide operational flexibility for catering to the increased demand of the Indus Left Bank Pipeline (ILBP) network. Consequently, this segment of the pipeline has increased the overall system capacity of the ILBP network by 68 mmcfd, said the statement.

The already existing 16” dia. pipeline laid some sixty-six years ago did not have enough capacity to cater to gas volumes available from the Indus Left Bank. Laying down the 16” dia. was the logical solution for beefing up gas supplies to Karachi.

The completion of all the three phases or the commissioning of the entire 116 -km long pipeline will help achieve a total capacity of 247 mmcfd. The cost of the entire project is Rs14 billion.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony organised by SSGC’s Projects and Construction Department, Managing Director Imran Maniar said a time frame of 60 days was given for the completion of the project, but SSGC’s engineers, workers and technicians completed the first phase well within the set time frame at an extraordinarily brisk pace.

The MD attributed this remarkable achievement to the seamless integration and team work of planning and development, (P&D), projects and construction, transmission, finance, procurement, stores, HSE&QA, land, security services and counter gas theft operations. Heads and executives of all concerned departments were also present at the inauguration ceremony.

Amin Rajput. DMD (F & A)/CFO, Saeed Rizvi, ADMD (Operations and UFG), Ghulam Moeen Butt, ASGM (Technical Services). and Ghulam Ali Mahar, DGM-Incharge (P&C) also spoke on the occasion and reiterated the extraordinary commitment and courage of the teams to commissioning one of the fastest pipeline projects in the SSGC’s history.

They expressed their confidence that the next two phases would also be commissioned within he set time frames for consolidating the company’s infrastructure and asset base, while ensuring a sustainable gas supply.

Since mid of May 2023 when the first phase got off the crowd, the SSGC’s management and all the departments concerned showed an unfaltering commitment to commissioning the project in a record time. “Working full throttle and on a fast pace, P&C engineers and the indefatigable workforce got down to the arduous business of ROW preparation, ditching in hard rock formation, line pipe stringing, welding, lowering / back filling of pipeline and hydrostatic testing to complete the first phase effectively and efficiently.”