Last Updated on: 30th June 2023, 02:57 pm
Gas Load Shedding Will Start On 1st November 2022
In order to ensure the supply of gas under full pressure three times a day for cooking, the government will start gas load shedding from 1st November 2022 to the end of February 2023. In gas supply, however, the domestic sector is given priority during the winter season.
Dr. Musadik Malik, Minister of Petroleum, said gas supplies for the non-export industry, including the CNG sector, will be suspended, and in the case of the export sector, current gas supplies will be halved during the winter months. In addition, the amount of RLNG currently supplied to the electricity industry would be reduced by 40%.
However, the final decision will be made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after reviewing the gas phase-out plan put forward by senior oil department and gas company officials. This will be somewhat inevitable as the gas deficit in the winter month of January 2023 is expected to exceed 1.1 billion cubic feet of gas per day.
According to the details, Sui Northern and Sui Southern will import 20,000 tons of LPG per day at a price of more than 2,300 rupees per bottle, in addition to the unit cost of the bottle of 7,000 rupees.
Relevant officials have calculated an estimated gas shortage of 250 mmcfd in November in the Sui Northern system, 400 mmcfd in December, and 700-750 mmcfd in January, and in the Sui Southern system, there will be a gas shortage of 250 mmcfd in November, 300 mmcfd in December, 350 mmcfd in January and 250 mmcfd in February 2023.
This means that the country will face a gas deficit of more than 1.1 billion cubic feet per day in the winter month of January 2023. 800 mmcfd local gas RLNG in December and 800 mmcfd and 800 mmcfd local gas RLNG in January 2023 and the same gas availability in February 2023.
Similarly, Sui Southern will have 75 mmcfd RLNG and 875 mmcfd local gas in November, December, January, and February respectively.
In addition, the government decided to reduce the Power Division’s LNG supply from 470 mmcfd in November 2022 to 250 mmcfd and could decrease further to 200 mmcfd in January 2023. However, the gas supply will increase to 350 mmcfd in February.
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In addition, the government would increase coal-fired power generation to 4,000 MW and the country would continue to rely on nuclear power generation as winter power demand fluctuates only between 9,000 MW and 12,000 MW.