ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik on Thursday directed gas utilities to take immediate measures to ease supply pressures on domestic consumers as harsh winter conditions triggered a sharp rise in gas demand across the country.
Chairing a meeting with senior officials of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), the minister took notice of complaints from households facing gas shortages during peak winter hours. According to an official statement, he emphasized that providing relief to domestic consumers remains the government’s top priority and instructed the Sui companies to ensure maximum facilitation for households.
To enhance oversight, the minister directed that weekly reports on gas demand and supply be submitted to the Petroleum Division, supported by daily operational-level monitoring. Officials informed the meeting that a detailed report on gas supply over the previous 24 hours is already being presented to the division daily at 10am to enable timely corrective action.
Briefing the meeting, the Managing Director of SNGPL said gas supply had been increased from 691 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) to 746mmcfd since January 6. He added that production from the Shiva gas field had been raised from 55mmcfd to 65mmcfd, contributing to improved availability. The minister directed officials to explore all possible options to further ease pressure on domestic consumers, including examining the feasibility of diverting additional gas from the industrial sector to households during the critical winter period.
The Managing Director of SSGC informed the meeting that the supply situation had improved following the restoration of production from two gas fields. He said an additional 39mmcfd was being supplied to domestic consumers compared to the same period last year. He also noted that consultations were underway with industrial stakeholders on the possibility of increasing weekly industrial gas shutdowns from one day to two days to prioritise household consumption.
