ISLAMABAD - A Senate committee was yesterday informed that the Punjab province was consuming around 1,400 percent more gas than its production while the remaining three provinces were consuming 27 to 37 percent less gas than their production.

The Senate Standing Committee of Petroleum that met here with Senator Mohsin Aziz in the chair recommended the government to allow provinces to use the gas according to their production and as per their constitutional rights.

Committee on Petroleum also recommended to the government to lift moratorium placed on provision of industrial and commercial gas connections. The committee was informed that Balochistan was consuming 37 percent less gas of its total production while Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also consuming 27 percent less gas than its production.

Official of the petroleum division while briefing the committee said that there is a deficit of 1200 mmcfd as the country’s domestic gas production is 4170mmcfd and demand is 5395mmcfd. The committee was informed that Punjab province is producing 119 mmcfd of gas, while it is consuming 1782 mmcfd of gas. KP producing 411mmcfd and getting 296mmcfd; Sindh produces 2320mmcfd and getting 1696 mmcfd while Balochistan producing 467mmcfd of gas while it is being provided 292 mmcfd of gas.

The chairman of the committee said according to the constitution of Pakistan, gas priority shall be given to province in which gas is producing to fulfill its requirements and after it the surplus shall be given to other provinces.

Senator Mohsin Aziz said that the provinces should be given their constitutional rights, and after fulfilling the needs of the gas producing province, the surplus should be given to other provinces. The committee was informed that it is also the responsibility of the provinces to provide gas to the federal government. Senator Mohsin Aziz said that for KP’s gas based energy project, the previous government had committed to providing the province 100 mmcfd of gas, this commitment has not been fulfilled yet. It would be suitable to give this 100mmcfd of gas to KP’s consumers as the project has not been started so far.

The committee was also informed that in winters, KP’s gas consumption stands in range of 250 to 350 mmcfd. Around 40mmcfd of gas is being provided to strategic industry. The committee was informed that for fulfilling the gas demand, with the domestic gas, imported RLNG is also being provided to consumers.

Senator Dr. Jehanzeb Jamaldini said that Balochistan is being suplied gas through air mix plants and it is only for two hours a day. There is Since 2011, there is moratorium of the local gas connections to the industrial sector, so industry is being given RLNG connections. Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industries representative informed the committee that in KP, industrial sector is being supplied natural gas at the price of the imported RLNG.

The representatives of Sarhad Chamber said that for Industrial Estate, Jamrud Road, we have held a detailed meeting with the provincial minister Taimur Jhagra  and he said a separate pipeline is being provided and a NOC has already been issued for the purpose.Besides, to improve the gas pressure in Peshawar, the network is being upgraded. Work on 32 KM separate gas pipeline is in final stage and will become operational by the end of December.

Secretary of Ministry of Petroleum Division Mian Asad Hayaud Din said that the recommendations of the committee would be put in place in the agenda of the cabinet for lifting of moratorium and right of the provinces for utilization of gas according to production.”  The officials of Ministry of the Petroleum informed the committee that moratorium was put in place due to shortage of gas in the country 2011 by the then government.

Managing Director SNGPL informed that presently there were about 4,215 industrial and 22,605 commercial consumers. The Senate body was apprised that on April, 21 2017, moratorium on new gas connections for industrial, commercial, captive consumers and load enhancement of existing consumers was relaxed on provision of RLNG.

The SNGPL MD said that 293 industrial, 213 captive and 1622 commercial connections had been given connection through RLNG. He said the SNGPL had received about 2.4 million applications for the provision of domestic gas connections. Last year, the SNGPL had provided 6 Lakh connections while the OGRA had been requested to allow 0.6 million connections during the current year.

The committee was also informed that there was no ban for the installation second gas meter in one home. The meeting was attended by Lt Gen (R) Salahuddin Tirmizi, Saleem Zia, Shammim Afridi, Taj Muhammad Afridi, Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini, Atta Ur Rheman and Bahramand Khan Tangi.