After the sabotage activity at 36-inch diametre main pipeline at Guddu Barrage on April 4, another 20-inch diametre Sui Southern Gas Pipelines Company Limited (SSGCL) pipeline carrying gas from Zamzama field to SNGPL system also ruptured on Tuesday night at about 11 pm due to sabotage activity.
According to Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) officials Punjab is facing a shortage of 550mmcfd due to the sabotage activity at Guddu Barrage main pipeline of 36-inch diametre. The officials said that repair work was started at Guddu in the evening of April 4, 2011 and expected to be completed as on Wednesday or Thursday morning. They also said that after completion of the repair work at Guddu there will be a shortfall of 250mmcfd due to the rupture of 20-inch diametre gas pipeline of SSGCL which was carrying gas from Zamzama field to SNGPL system.
The officials said that in order to meet gas shortfall on SNGPL system due to the above mentioned sabotage incidents, the Company has to stop gas supply to IPPs and Fertiliser Plants under force majeure and the balance short fall is being met through curtailment of industrial sector.
However, the domestic and commercial sectors are being supplied gas as per their demand. As soon as above the lines are repaired and restored normal gas supply, prior to above two incidents, shall be resumed. It is pertinent to mention here that in the month of February unidentified miscreants blew up two gas pipelines in Naseerabad and Jaffarabad districts due to which supply of gas was suspended to the Uch Power Plant. Meanwhile, another two gas pipelines were targeted in Hyderabad.