CNG station operators routinely defraud customers by using a more liberal air mix and low pressure. However, these stations also use high pressure to pull more gas than allowed by the gas utilities, a survey carried out by Business Recorder showed.
CNG stations across the country have different sale/purchase agreements with Gas utility companies - Sui-Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), Sui-Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra).
SNGPL and SSGC supply gas to CNG stations, while Ogra regulates the sector.
As per official data, there are as many as 3,500 CNG stations in the country and an estimated 3.5 million vehicles using CNG as fuel.
Majority of those surveyed said that most CNG stations were cheating their customers by filling cylinders with air instead of natural gas damaging their engines, adding that there were no gauges installed at CNG stations to check the quality and quantity of gas being filled.
An employee of a CNG station on condition of anonymity admitted that CNG stations were using these tactics with impunity. "Owners of CNG stations are openly violating the rules set by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra)," he alleged. "Monitoring teams of departments concerned take kickbacks from CNG station owners who are selling substandard gas."
A manager at a CNG station accused officials of Sui-Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) of taking bribes from owners of CNG stations to pump more gas than allowed. "According to rules, the filling pressure for a CNG cylinder is 200 bars, 370 bars is the testing pressure and 600 bars is bursting pressure", he said.
Consumers prefer CNG stations with higher pressure gas, he added. But complained that they had to wait for hours in long queues to get their cylinders filled a day before and after the weekly closures.
The survey also showed that some CNG stations operated for a limited clientele even when the CNG stations were closed during the weekly gas shutdowns.