Gas supply suspended to CNG sector for indefinite period in Punjab

ISLAMABAD: The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Company Limited (SNGPL) has decided to suspend gas supply to industries and the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations in Punjab for an indefinite period.

The decision in this regard has been taken in view of an exponential increase in gas consumption by the domestic sector causing severe depletion of transmission pack SNGPL s General Manager Sales Ashraf told APP on Monday.

The gas supply for both zone 1 comprising Lahore Sheikhupura Sahiwal Multan Gujranawala and Gujrat regions and zone II including Faisalabad Sargodha Islamabad Rawalpindi and Bahawalpur regions would be suspended from December 10 (6 am) till further orders, he added.

According to another official the government was working on all fronts to meet the growing energy needs of country.

As part of such efforts the official added the government was pursuing a vibrant and investment friendly policy to attract more investment for the oil and gas sector.

It was vigorously pursuing the TAPI and Pak Iran gas projects he added The official said Iran s deal with the world powers on nuclear issue would have a positive effect on the project.

He dispelled the impression that Pak Iran gas pipeline project had been suspended saying once sanctions were lifted on Iran the project would get extra pace.

Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Khaqan Abbasi has already said there was no short cut solution to the energy crisis.

However he said the possible short term solution could be the LNG project besides improving existing infrastructure to achieve more benefit of the activities in the oil and gas sector.