Pakistan’s gas crisis worsens miseries of consumers

ISLAMABAD, Dec 26 (SABAH): Gas crisis worsened in Pakistan after exceeding 1,200 MMCFDO wing to the national gas shortage as soon as winter winds started blowing, people across the country have started facing difficulties in continuing daily activities such as cooking and heating water and other items.

Children were forced to leave home for school without having breakfast, because mothers cannot even make a toast. On returning back of children, mothers were unable to serve them food as the low gas pressure had made it impossible to cook food within time.

Hence, the residents were forced to buy food from shops which was proving to be a huge burden on their pockets.

According to the Petroleum Division, the number of gas consumers in Pakistan exceeded 10 million. The gas demand for these consumers increased by 60 Million Metric Cubic Feet per Day (MMFCD) in 2022 to 6,945 MMFCD. The reason behind gas shortage is the high demand and low supply forcing the gas suppliers to cut off the supply compulsorily at multiple times of the day.

In 2022, Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) gained 40,000 new customers and now serves over 3.5 million gas users. On the other hand, the customers of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) increased to around 7.7 million this year. Following the intensifying cold, the demand for gas in Pakistan reached to 3,600 MMCFD – while, the availability is only 2,400 MMCFD.

The demand of SSGC was 1,250 MMCFD, while the supply was just 900 MMCFD. Similar goes with SNGPL, having a supply of 1,500 MMCFD against demand of 2,300 MMCFD.

As buying food from shops in increasing the monthly budgets, residents were now buying expensive cylinder of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) whereas using a cylinder is both risky as well as burdon on pockets.