ISLAMABAD: M/s Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) has disconnected gas supply to Central Power Generation Company Limited (CPGCL)- Genco-II for reportedly failing to take appropriate measures to stop gas leakage.
This was intimated by Salahuddin Khan, Deputy Director (Technical), Directorate General (Gas) Petroleum Division in a letter to Power Division. He also annexed previous and recent letters written by M/s PMCL with respect to gas leakage which has put lives of adjacent population at risk.
According to Directorate General (Gas) Petroleum Division, M/s MPCL pointed out the recent gas leakage incident that occurred on August 17, saying that increasing gas leakage incidents in recent years are posing major risk to the local community. The last such incident occurred on July 17, which was communicated to various stakeholders and the gas supplies were suspended but later was recommended on the assurance of CPGCL. Subsequently, OGRA through its letter of August 12, advised CPGCL-Genco to execute an integrity assessment plan and operate and maintain the pipeline as per the standards prescribed by the Authority. However, another gas leakage incident has occurred endangering public health and safety, therefore, gas supplies to CPGCL-Genco have been suspended by MPCL from August 17, unless pipeline integrity assessment plan is executed and necessary corrective measures taken by CPGCL-Genco.
Power Division has been requested to advise CPGCL-Genco-II to take remedial measure to ensure integrity of the leakage in the old line so as to avoid leakage of gas and any untoward incident.
“We appreciate the dire need of indigenous gas supplies at present to meet the power requirement but cannot compromise on HSE standards by continuing to supply gas, keeping in view their serious pipeline integrity issues. Accordingly, we will not commence gas supply until a complete integrity assessment of the line is completed,” said Hasan Mehmood, Director Business Development and Commercial, MPCL.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022