The General Manager of Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Ltd (SNGPL), Iqbal Hussain, said here on Monday that gas production from Gurgury field for four southern districts of NWFP was in the final stages as the required infrastructure and other formalities have been completed.
Talking to APP in his office, he said the project, would be completed at a cost of Rs 2 billion in three years' time. The NWFP, and Federal Governments and SNGPL were providing financial support to the project, he added. However, provisions of gas to three other districts will take some time, he said.
He said that arrangements for gas supply to Karak, Tank, Lakki Marwat and Hangu districts have been completed as interlink distribution and installation of meters was underway. "Main pipelines have been laid to Bannu, D I Khan and Darra Adam Khel areas, and gas supply to these areas would be started soon", he added.
Iqbal said that 10 percent gap in the demand and supply of gas had forced the department to load shedding during winter. "Gap in demand and supply alters with weather change, as in rain and cold weather the demand increases, and in hot weather it reduces", he added.
He said that due to technical fault in the pipeline, supply of gas was suspended to some areas of Hayatabad last week, "but our technical staff is working round the clock to rectify the fault".
He said that SNGPL has 250,000 domestic, 5,000 commercial and 350 industrial consumers in NWFP. The SNGPL has 100 percent coverage in Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda and Nowshera districts while gas facility at Swabi, Swat, Malakand and Dargai was underway under its expansion plan.
He said that monthly 1000 to 1200 consumers add to SNGPL list, while the target for the current year is 20,000 connections. About provision of gas to tribal areas, the GM said that the company was facing difficulties in extending the facility to Fata due to poor law and order situation. Pipelines have been laid in Darra Adam Khel. "We will provide gas to tribal areas as soon as the law and order situation improves", he said.