Suspect meters: Ogra tells SNGPL to introduce cyber locking system

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has directed Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) to introduce cyber locking system as being practiced by the SSGC for the satisfaction of consumers and their trust building. The authority after noticing certain discrepancies at the metering workshop of both SNGPL and SSGC, separately, has asked the companies to strictly adhere to the Ogra's procedure for dealing with gas theft cases.
During separate visits to the SSGC workshop in Karachi and that of SNGPL in Lahore, the authority underlined that there was a lot of room for improvement. According to the authority's spokesperson, Ogra also pressed upon the companies to strictly adhere to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the suspect meters. The authority noted with concern the lack of adherence to the SOP and asked the two companies to handle industrial, commercial and domestic consumers' suspect meters as per the SOP.
"In an effort to curb the theft of natural gas by the industrial/CNG consumers, it is also directed that SNGPL needs to introduce cyber locking system at the Consumer Meter Station (CMS) as being practiced by the SSGC, which would facilitate the Company to monitor any unlawful/unauthorised access to the CMS," OGRA has written to the SNGPL. The authority has directed the two companies to ensure complainant's presence with solid evidence at the time of testing a suspect meter. The companies are informed that the testing in absence of the complainant would be considered as violation of the Ogra procedure.
As per Ogra official as estimated 400 mmcfd of gas is being wasted on account of Unaccounted for Gas (UfG). UfG on the network of SSGC is around 9.25 percent while on the network of SNGPL it is hovering around 9.5 percent to 10 percent. The country is losing an estimated amount of Rs 25 billion per annum on account of UfG. The authority has also warned the two state-owned utilities that Ogra may also visit the subject metering workshops from time to time to ascertain improvements as stipulated in the procedure and as per directions issued, accordingly. The authority has also urged the two companies to introduce latest measuring technologies so that the metering system could not be tampered with and the issue of theft is overcome.