Gas production from Qadirpur field has declined by 200 mmcfd, officials said. Sources in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources told Business Recorder here on Friday that the Qadirpur gas field, which supplies up to 460 mmcfd gas to SNGPL, has reduced gas production by nearly 200 mmcfd due to unknown reasons.
The field currently is supplying less than 260 mmcfd gas, resulting in severe depletion of transmission system of SNGPL. The government should provide gas to Engro fertiliser plant directly from SSGPL which would enable Sui Northern Gas Pipeline (SNGPL) to provide gas to industries in Punjab, especially textile industry which faces severe gas shortage and resultantly numerous textile units are closing down in Punjab.
Gas production from Qadirpur field was to be increased by 100 mmfcd but, instead, it has declined by 200 mmcfd. "SNGPL has been supplying gas to Engro fertiliser plant on the condition that Qadirpur gas field would increase supply by 100 mmfcd, but production has declined by 200 mmcfd. However, it is still providing gas to Engro, which has created gas shortage in the SNGPL system. SSGPL should supply gas to Engro as it has enough reservoirs and Qadirpur gas field''s gas should be used for the consumers of SNGPL", sources said.
They said that SNGPL is providing 80 mmcfd gas to Engro fertiliser plant via Qadirpur gas field. Qadirpur gas field is one of the major gas reserves of Pakistan. The field is located at a distance of 8 km from Ghotki in Sindh. The field is a joint venture between Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC), Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company Pakistan B.V. (KUFPEC), PKP Exploration Limited (PKPEL, a subsidiary of Premier Oil Plc) and Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL).
Pakistan''s daily gas requirement is 6.50 bcf, against current supply of 4 bcf, which means that Pakistan at present faces a shortage of 2.5 bcf. The mid-term and short-term solutions to solve the problem is import of LNG and LPG. Sources said that in the winter season there would be an additional shortage of gas of one bcf. "This indicates that in the upcoming winter Pakistan''s total gas demand would touch 7.5 bcf and supply would remain at 4 bcf. The situation is quite alarming as the government would have to cut supply of gas to industries and other users, which would add to the woes of already suffering industry" the officials maintained.
About the current gas crisis, sources said that due to law and order situation across the country no new exploration activity has taken place, while old gas and oil fields'' production is declining with each passing day. "The government can resolve the issue by importing LNG and LPG, but import of these energy sources would require considerable finance. Import of LNG and LPG is a short-term and mid-term solution to the persisting gas crisis. However, to comprehensively deal with the crisis the government has to make serious efforts towards exploring new oil and gas fields", officials added.
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