Tag: Sui southern gas company

  • Major maintenance work to cause severe gas supply disruption in Karachi from tomorrow

    Major maintenance work to cause severe gas supply disruption in Karachi from tomorrow

    In a concerning development, the residents of Karachi are set to endure an extensive period of gas load shedding from August 12 to 27, as a critical gas supply of 107 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) faces disruption due to essential annual maintenance work at the Kunnar-Pasakhi Deep (KPD) gas field.

    The Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC) has released a notification detailing the maintenance schedule for the KPD gas field, which is slated to be carried out in three phases over the course of 16 days. This maintenance work will necessitate a complete shutdown for eight days, coupled with a partial shutdown lasting four days.

    According to ARY News, the upcoming complete shutdown of gas operations is expected to result in a significant reduction of 107 mmcfd, while the partial shutdown will further trim the gas supply by 50 mmcfd. This unfortunate reduction in gas availability will inevitably impact various sectors, including domestic households, commercial establishments, industrial operations, and even the crucial Kapco power plants that rely on natural gas to generate electricity.

    This unfortunate situation follows closely on the heels of a recent setback faced by the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) when a supply line was damaged during excavation work for the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) project within Karachi. The 8-inch-diameter gas supply line suffered damage in the vicinity of Safoora Chowrangi, leading to an abrupt suspension of gas supply to neighbouring areas.

    The affected localities encompass a wide range, including vital institutions like the Memon Foundation Hospital and the sprawling Karachi University, as well as residential communities such as Sadi Town, Rimjhim, Rizvia Society, and Down University. Moreover, industrial sites and research facilities like Suparco, Sachal Goth, and surrounding villages have also been grappling with the repercussions of this supply disruption.

    While the inconvenience caused by this unexpected gas supply interruption is deeply felt, the SSGC remains committed to ensuring the completion of essential maintenance work at the KPD gas field. Despite the challenges posed by these circumstances, the SSGC aims to minimise the impact on citizens’ lives and livelihoods to the greatest extent possible.

    As Karachi prepares itself for this period of gas load shedding, residents are urged to exercise prudence in their gas consumption, explore energy-efficient alternatives where feasible, and cooperate with the SSGC’s efforts to manage the situation effectively.

  • Gas shortage worsens in Pakistan amid rising demand and low reserves

    Gas shortage worsens in Pakistan amid rising demand and low reserves

    Minister of State for Petroleum, Musadik Malik, stated on Wednesday that the general public cannot receive gas 24/7 due to a decline in the commodity’s reserves, which is a significant reason. Pakistan relies heavily on natural gas for energy, and with increasing demand and insufficient supply, load shedding has become a daily occurrence in many areas of the country. This situation worsens during Ramadan when Pakistanis consume more gas for cooking and other purposes, particularly during sehri and iftar timings.

    During a conversation with journalists in Karachi, the minister mentioned that gas load shedding would end during sehar and iftar but did not specify when. “We cannot provide gas for 24 hours as our reserves have decreased,” he stated. Recently, the issue of gas scarcity in Karachi has caught the attention of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has directed relevant officials to ensure an uninterrupted supply of the commodity. He has instructed that the supply of gas must be monitored, and no negligence should be tolerated.

    Due to the widening gap between gas supply and demand, the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has announced its decision to suspend supplies to captive power plants and industries. The gas utility has stated that this decision has been made due to low gas supply, and the volume of gas in pipelines has decreased. In response, the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has called for immediate government action to address the shortage of gas supply to Karachi’s industries, stating that the industries cannot operate without gas and would be forced to halt production.

    KCCI President Muhammad Tariq Yousuf said, “It is highly unfair to have such an attitude towards Karachi’s business community, which, despite facing so many challenges, contributes around 54 per cent in terms of exports and more than 68 per cent in terms of revenue.”

    While talking to journalists, Malik said that his visit to Karachi was aimed at resolving the gas supply issues faced by the people and urged them to pay their utility bills. “The gas bill of the rich and poor has been separated; rich people will have to pay more now,” he said, adding that the separation of gas bills for the rich and the poor was now in effect.

  • Domestic users to experience 16-hour gas load shedding during winter

    Domestic users to experience 16-hour gas load shedding during winter

    Due to the requirement for a $37 per mmbtu subsidy, the federal government is unable to guarantee that domestic customers of both Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) will have uninterrupted access to eight hours of gas per day during cooking hours in the upcoming winters.

    A parliamentary panel was informed on Thursday by Captain Muhammad Mahmood (retired), Additional Secretary (Incharge) for the Ministry of Energy’s Petroleum Division, that neither the government nor the gas firms had the resources to severely subsidise the domestic gas consumers. The secretary said, “We can’t supply gas at $3 per MMBtu against a current purchase of $40 per MMBtu.”

    He made it clear that every effort will be taken to guarantee household gas supply for three hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon, and three hours in the evening.

    In response to a query, he stated that the Sindh gas load-shedding was a result of the allocation of gas between home and industrial uses. He claimed that in Sindh, 60 per cent of gas was delivered to industry and the remaining 40 per cent to homes and other sectors, in contrast to KP where 80 per cent of gas was supplied to domestic users.

    Imran Maniar, the managing director (MD) of SSGC, informed the committee that Balochistan contributed 110 mmcfd while Sindh produced 740 mmcfd.

    He claimed that due to the 10 per cent annual depletion of domestic gas reserves and the 100 per cent dependency on imported gas in ten years, there will be no gas in the upcoming winter.

    He stated that it was anticipated that in three to four years, LNG prices would decline significantly and the government would be able to finish building the new LNG facilities as planned.

    Due to the high expense of security and the country’s continued political unrest, new corporations were not expressing interest in oil and gas exploration. “The investors are waiting as they would not invest when new general election will be held next year,” he said.

    He added that due to sanctions, the anticipated import of gas from Russia or Iran was not feasible.

    In response to a question, the secretary stated that the cost of storing gas in the nation was high and that industrialised nations lacked such facilities; nonetheless, during recent gas crises, Germany and England began developing gas storage facilities.

    The previous administration authorised a draught of a new Pakistan Upstream Regulatory Authority to separate policy from regulation, according to Director General (DG) PC, Petroleum Division Kashif Ahmed.

    Provinces disagreed with a few of the proposed regulatory authority’s provisions, though. He stated that the authority would have four members from four different provinces and one vice chairman. “After getting approval from the competent forum, it will take three to four years for the establishment of the regulator for the upstream sector,” he added.

  • Citizen sues govt over low gas pressure

    Citizen sues govt over low gas pressure

    A Karachi resident named Kamran Iqbal has sued the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) over low gas pressure in his area.

    According to details, the SSGC failed to resolve the low gas pressure issue, which is causing problems, despite a number of complaints submitted by Iqbal over the issue.

    Also Read: Man takes shop owner to court for selling poor quality shoes to his wife

    The citizen requested the court to take action against the SSGC for its failure to provide a stable supply of gas to the citizens. In today’s hearing, a lawyer submitted his paper to represent the SSGC in the court.

    The court after summoning a detailed reply from SSGC’s counsel postponed the hearing of the case till March 4.