Karachi: The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) on Monday said it is actively working to rectify a technical fault that caused a 30 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) shortfall in gas supply, adding that the deficit is expected to be fully recovered within the next few days.
In a statement, the gas utility said that once normal supply levels are restored, gas pressure is expected to stabilise, enabling the resumption of full services to domestic consumers across Sindh and Balochistan.
An SSGC spokesperson explained that an unexpected cold spell across Pakistan triggered a sharp rise in household gas consumption, forcing the company to take emergency measures to safeguard domestic supply. She said overall demand surged by around 10 per cent, largely due to increased use of gas geysers and space heaters during peak winter conditions.
To manage the initial demand spike, SSGC diverted approximately 90MMCFD of re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) into its distribution network. However, a sudden further drop in temperatures led to an additional and unanticipated increase in household usage, extending cooking hours and intensifying morning and evening peak demand.
Compounding the situation, the spokesperson said an upstream technical issue reduced gas availability by an estimated 30MMCFD, resulting in low pressure in several tail-end localities within the company’s service areas.
In response, SSGC implemented its government-approved load management plan, which includes curtailment of gas supply to fertiliser plants and the enforcement of weekly industrial closures to ensure priority supply to residential consumers.
Reiterating its commitment to domestic users, the spokesperson said household gas supply remains the company’s top priority, in line with the prime minister’s directives and the approved load management framework. “SSGC is striving to ensure uninterrupted gas availability from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm daily, while special 24-hour teams have been deployed to promptly address low-pressure complaints across its franchise areas,” she added.
