The News reported that the industrial sector in Punjab region of Pakistan will face extreme shortage of gas this winter owing to a demand supply gap of 840 million cubic feet by January 2012, the highest in the history.

Mr Arif Hameed MD of Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited said while addressing members of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry that the gas shortfall in October was 390 million cubic feet which would increase to 500 million cubic feet in November AND 550 million cubic feet in December.

He however, promised that there would be no unscheduled load shedding. He said the weekly three day gas load shedding would be reduced to two days after Oct 22nd 2011. The SNGPL was going to launch LPG air mix for Kot Lakhpat Industrial Area on experimental basis.

Mr Arif Hameed said that Pakistan and Iran gas pipeline project would not fully meet the country’s needs. We will need liquefied natural gas to overcome the shortage. A moratorium had been placed on new industrial connections for one year to ensure supply of gas to existing consumers.

He said that new housing societies would be asked to arrange their gas supplies from other avenues. A state of the art and dedicated complaint center was being established to serve the industrial consumers round the clock.

On the demand of Mr Irfan Qaiser Sheikh President of LCCI, the MD directed the relevant officials to immediately reactivate LCCI SNGPL Dispute Resolution Committee.

Mr Sheikh raised the issue of low gas pressure and urged the MD to ensure equal distribution of gas to all industrial sectors. He demanded that the private sector be taken on board while evolving load management plans. Three day gas load shedding in Punjab and less in other provinces was discrimination which must be ended. When gas supply was restored after three days, the pressure remained so low that in effect the industry ended up losing another day.

He said that this was making goods manufactured in Punjab uncompetitive in other provinces. If any incentives were being offered to private companies for exploration of fuel reserves, they must be publicized to encourage more firms to invest in this important sector. Preference should be given to the complaints of industrial consumers.

(Sourced from www.thenews.com.pk)