The government has decided to increase gas supply to industrial sector in Punjab from three days to four days a week, while gas supply for compressed natural gas (CNG) stations may continue as per current schedule - three days a week. The sources in Petroleum Ministry told Business Recorder on Saturday that with the improving weather conditions in plains, Sui-Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL) would provide four days a week gas to industrial units of Punjab from April.
The gas utility has recently reduced gas suspension from five days to four days a week to CNG stations in Punjab, sources added. The Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet on January 29, had decided that domestic and commercial sectors would be given top priority, followed by power and general industries sectors. The cement sector would now be given fourth priority, instead of the CNG sector. The natural gas is playing a dominant role in the country's energy mix used by power houses, industrial and commercial units as well as households.
According to Petroleum Ministry officials, the reason behind massive CNG loadshedding in Punjab is only the province's share in national natural gas production which is about five percent, while it was consuming about 45 percent of the gas. At present, Sindh is the largest gas producing province with 57 percent of the national natural gas production, followed by Balochistan with 20 percent, Khyber Paktunkhwa (KP) produces 18 percent and Punjab produces five percent of the total natural gas.
Sindh's share in national natural gas consumption is 40 percent, Punjab 45 percent, KP nine percent, and Balochistan consumes six percent of the gas. Out of Pakistan's total gas production of 4.3 billion cubic feet per day (BCFD), CNG sector is consuming nine percent gas, while Unaccounted for Gas (UfG) loss stands at over 11 percent, which is 6.5 percent higher than the allowed level of 4.5 percent.
Loadshedding for CNG sector in Sindh rotates from 24 hours a week to 48 hours a week, in Punjab at present gas supply for CNG stations is suspended for four days a week, while in KP and Balochistan there is no gas suspension for CNG stations. There are some 3,495 CNG stations in the country, of which 2,500 are situated in Punjab. An estimated 3.7 million vehicles are on CNG in the country, which make Pakistan a leading CNG consumer country in the world.
Over 90 percent of the Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) in the country are converted on CNG while CNG loadshedding is creating serious problems for masses while travelling on intra-city and inter-city routes. All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), while welcoming the move, said industrial sector during entire winter season faced serious energy crisis, as a result textile exports related items declined by six percent. Due to energy crisis, the industry production capacity was being curtailed by 30 percent which was not only reducing export earnings by billions of dollars but also depriving millions of people of their jobs, he maintained.
The gas shortfall at present stands at 1.6 BCF of which 0.4 BCF is on SSGCL system and 1.25 BCF on SNGPL. According to the official, the consumers on the system of SNGPL especially in Punjab are facing 1.25 BCF shortage of gas, therefore the management has been forced to completely cut gas supply to the industrial sector, besides six-day gas suspension to the CNG stations and no gas supply to fertiliser industry.