Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) has announced gas load shedding schedule for the CNG stations under which the stations would observe two consecutive gas holidays for next two weeks to overcome the shortfall caused by the closure of Zamzama field. However, All Pakistan CNG Association and All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) have rejected the load shedding plan of SNGPL.
Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Naveed Qamar has convened a meeting of CNG Association and APTMA members in Lahore o Monday to take them into confidence regarding the gas load shedding plan.
Ghayas Abdullah Paracha, President All Pakistan CNG Association told Business Recorder that if the government did not take back the decision of two-day a week gas load shedding plan they would go on strike. SNGPL Deputy Company Secretary told Business Recorder that Zamzama gas field has been closed for its Annual Turnaround (ATA) from 27.10.2010 to 04.11.2010. During this period, supplies into SNGPL system would be reduced by 150 MMCFD. This shortfall shall be met through curtailment of gas supplies to industrial/CNG sectors.
During this ATA, CNG sector shall observe two consecutive gas holidays during next two weeks to overcome shortfall from Zamzama field.
He further said that Zamzama gas field, which was supplying 195 MMCFD gas to SNGPL had reduced supplies to 150 MMCFD a couple of weeks back. On Saturday it further reduced about 100 MMCFD supply due to technical problem at the gas field. This reduction coupled with increase in gas consumption by the domestic consumers has resulted in depletion of our transmission line pack and widening of gap between demand and supply.
Furthermore the recently installed compressors at Qadirpur are under commissioning due to which SNGPL is receiving low inputs from this field. In order to address this situation, SNGPL is constrained to reduce gas supply to the industrial sector for providing continuous gas supply to the domestic and commercial sectors. From within the available gas sources SNGPL is also supplying uninterrupted gas to those power plants with whom, we have commitment under Gas Supply Agreements for minimising electricity load shedding in the country.
SNGPL has requested all its industrial consumers to keep in place, alternate fuel so that their production activities are not suffered during the period of Zamzama ATA.
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