STC and its partner in 5G network deployment in the Middle East, Huawei, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Saudi Aramco to launch a joint innovation program to study the application of 5G technology in the oil and gas industry and develop solutions. The MoU is expected to fuel economic growth and societal benefits in the Kingdom and…
Read MoreDay: January 31, 2021
660MW coal power plant faces delay
The beginning of commercial production by Lucky Cement’s 660-megawatt local coal-fired power project worth over $1 billion has faced a delay of around five months due to inability of the government to finish construction of transmission lines on time in the wake of Covid-19. The company has, however, refused to accept excuses from government agencies responsible to build the required…
Read MoreDivestment of Mari shares hits snag
ISLAMABAD:ISLAMABAD:ISLAMABAD:The divestment of government of Pakistan’s remaining shares in Mari Petroleum has been held back due to observations made by the anticorruption watchdog. Sources told The Express Tribune that a meeting was held in the first week of January at the Privatisation Commission to discuss the divestment of Mari Petroleum’s shares. The meeting was chaired by the privatisation minister and…
Read MoreWas it a Crisis Communications Blackout Too?
This was the first post I read at 12:00 midnight PST on January 9, 2021 and within five minutes, by just looking at (without reading) the number of comments, I knew this was a major power breakdown. As a student of crisis communications, there onwards I started noting the different pieces of information doing rounds on social media. They included…
Read MoreOgra proposes up to Rs11 hike in POL rates
ISLAMABAD: The prices of key petroleum products — petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) — are estimated to go up by Rs9-11 per litre on Jan 31 for the first fortnight of February if straight calculations of Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) are accepted by the prime minister. However, based purely on international prices published in Platt’s Oilgram, the prices…
Read MoreCoal demand expected to spike in 2021
KARACHI: Coal demand is expected to remain upbeat in 2021 as more coal-fired and captive power plants are coming up in the current year. According to sources, the import of coal at three coal-based power plants – China Hubco, Sahiwal and Port Qasim Electric — is around 10-12 million tonnes per annum. According to Nepra, the contribution of coal to…
Read MoreOGRA approves 5.4% tariff hike
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has allowed a 5.4% increase in the price of gas for consumers of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC). The regulator allowed the hike in the prescribed price of gas while determining the estimated revenue requirement (ERR) of SSGC for financial year 2020-21. The oil and gas regulator allowed the price increase in order…
Read MoreKarachi ranks as second most polluted city in the world today
KARACHI: Pakistan Meteorological Department said the city’s weather is likely to remain dry and cold during the next 24 hours on Thursday. According to the Air Quality Index, Karachi has been ranked second among the most polluted cities in the world today. The minimum temperature recorded in the provincial capital city today was 9.2°C. However, due to the haze, the…
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