The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has formulated a plan to provide liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders to consumers in the wake of a possible shortage of gas in winter.
An SNGPL official said that the company was purchasing 100,000 cylinders to mitigate the expected shortage. The spokesperson for the SNGPL confirmed the development, saying the decision was under consideration.
The SNGPL is responsible for the distribution of natural gas in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) while the rest of the country is being taken care of by the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC).
Natural gas fulfils 40 per cent energy needs of the country. The power sector consumes over 45 per cent while the residential sector and fertiliser production consume over 20 percent each, said the official.
The supply and demand gap is hovering around four billion cubic feet per day (BCFD), according to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA). The government has already entered into an agreement with Qatar for the import of gas to meet the demand.
With over a million consumers in the queue for getting new connections, the SNGPL has already banned the installation of new gas meters. The SNGPL believes that the fresh decision will help ease the shortage of natural gas that is expected to hit consumers in the coming month.
The SNGPL, said official sources, will ensure the supply of fibre gas cylinders at OGRA rates.
The official said that consumers could also book cylinders online, adding that the home delivery facility is also being given by the company. The service will initially be launched in major cities, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Islamabad, Peshawar and Faisalabad.
The official went on to say that the liquefied petroleum gas will be provided to consumers at Rs220 per kilogramme.
Consumers in Lahore will get cylinders at sales points being established at the Lahore region head office in Gulberg and other offices in Johar Town, Walled City and Harbanspura.
The SNGPL management claim that 80 per cent of consumers in Lahore will unlikely face the gas shortage in winter.
