Imported LNG, better management increase gas availability by 20pc

LAHORE: The government increased gas supply to domestic and industrial consumers up to 20 percent during the ongoing winter season due to injection of re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) into the system and its load management practices, a senior official said on Friday.  

“There has been a substantial decrease in consumer complaints this winter as gas availability has increased 15-20 percent,” said the official. 

The official said the gap between gas demand and supply in Punjab alone – the country’s biggest province – during the peak demand season from December to February, was recorded at 300 million cubic feet/day (mmcfd) during the last couple of years.

“Now, such gap is being managed by diverting gas from some sectors, injecting RLNG for industry and swapping about 250 mmcfd of RLNG with domestic gas and pressure profiling to provide gas as and when required amid near freezing temperature,” the official added.

The official said management practices, including steps to increase production from domestic wells, import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and swap of re-gasified liquefied natural gas with locally produced gas, pressure profiling and diversion of gas from various sectors to homes helped in meeting energy requirement in the country.

During the peak wintery demand, gas supply shortage has always been a source of real concern for various consumer categories, especially for those living in central parts of the country. The problem started back in 2007-08 and gradually worsened in the following years mainly due to lack of any serious effort for increasing supplies.

The official added that some innovative initiatives, taken by present government, yielded positive results.

There is a marked improvement in gas supply especially to the hardest hit areas in the Punjab.

Gas availability in other provinces is also satisfactory and the government ensured that there would be no adverse effect in meeting demand of all the consumers.

Such arrangements have no additional financial burden for consumers as well as government.

On an annualised basis, the official said, the re-gasified liquefied natural gas volume and domestic gas are equalised.

Cluster of industry, especially export-oriented textile units is getting round the clock gas supplies thanks to LNG import.

Of total 842 industrial units located in Lahore region of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd, 681 are fully operational with sustained re-gasified liquefied natural gas supplies nowadays. 

The official said there are still complaints in some areas which are located on the tail-end or where illegal compressors are in use by other domestic consumers.

These complaints are being managed. These problems are a result of lack of zoning in cities where houses, industry, commercial, and compressed natural gas should have been in separate areas. In such pockets, not much can be done in short term.

It is a result of bad town planning. However, the provincial government is planning to resolve these issues in these localities in near future.

“We are very much upbeat that gas availability would even substantially be improved in the next winter season,” the official said.

“It will partly be possible by a quantum jump in LNG import, which is bound to increase to 1.2 billion cubic feet from the present 425 million cubic feet.”