Imran likely to take to task persons behind gas crisis today

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan will today (Wednesday) take a decision about managing directors in a crucial meeting of Cabinet Committee on Energy that will take up the issue of gas crisis which recently hit the country, a senior official told The News.

“The nine pages’ report of the fact-finding committee will be discussed in the meeting and Prime Minister will take the final decision. The premier will himself chair the meeting.’’

According to top officials, the fact-finding report has held the refineries and furnace oil lobby responsible for the 215 mmcfd less gas production in south and north gas fields. It contradicted the information provided to the December 12 meeting headed by the Premier that Kunar Pasaki Deep and Gambat gas fields were closed down because of technical faults saying that both the gas fields were not operational because of technical faults but on account of the refusal of refineries to lift the condensate and crude oil from the fields.

The official said that fact finding committee headed by Ogra Chairperson Uzma Adil submitted the facts in the report and did not hold any one responsible. The report was earlier submitted to the petroleum minister and petroleum secretary.

Petroleum Division on December 12 constituted the four-member fact finding committee headed by Ogra Chairperson Uzma Adil. Qazi Saleem Siddiqui, DG (PC), Shahid Yousaf DG (Gas) and Imran Ahmad, DG (LG) were its members. The committee was to submit its findings in 72 hours that will be presented before the Premier.

The official said that given the report, managing directors of both gas utilities may survive knowing the fact that on December 12, the gas crisis that hit the whole country had irked the prime minister who had convened the meeting on the same day and had decided to take action against Managing Directors of SNGPL and SSGC for hiding the information about the faulty gas compressors after thorough probe against them.

In the report it was also stated that in case the condensate and furnace oil were not exported and the agreements about LNG imports were not brought under one institution, then in January and February, again gas crisis can emerge.

Apart from it, in the meeting new gas load management plan will also be tabled. More importantly, gas companies will also come up with the demand of LNG for next four months. The Prime Minister will inquire about the storage capacity of refineries and their plan to export furnace oil as in the country the demand of furnace oil is coming down.