Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd (SSGCL) has said that it is facing a shortfall of around 240-250 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas primarily because of depleting indigenous supplies and constant increase in demand.
Clarifying a news report published in Dawn’s Jan 2 issue under the headline ‘Eight-hour gas supply hampering Karachi export industry’, the gas utility said that in January 2021 around 1,010mmcfd average gas was available for supply compared to 940 mmcfd in December 2021. A similar situation is likely to persist in the ongoing month too, it warned.
It said the demand for gas from the domestic and fertiliser sectors has increased this winter. The operation of the fertiliser sector is crucial for maintaining the fertiliser inventory to avert shortages whereas Balochistan’s domestic sector’s demand needs to be met in view of harsh weather.
The government is supplying 75mmcfd RLNG to SSGCL in order to bridge its demand and supply gap in addition to the curtailment measures, the utility company said.
As per the approved load management plan, SSGCL is required to curtail gas supply to non-export general industries and its captive power (175mmcfd) and CNG (20mmcfd) to feed the domestic and fertiliser sectors as well as export industrial units.
However, the company could only manage to save 50mmcfd by curtailing CNG and power sectors. Out of 1,900 units of non-export industry, SSGCL could only curtail gas supply to 180 units owing to stay orders granted by the high court.
