Adeem Niaz

The two state-owned gas companies are constructing a 10,707-kilometer pipeline to strengthen the gas transmission networks in their operational regions throughout the country during the current fiscal year. According to a document available with WealthPK, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) will install 9,605km and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) will install 1,102km of transmission and distribution pipelines in their respective regions during 2022–23 to improve gas supply to residential, industrial, and commercial consumers.

The upgrade of the gas transmission and distribution infrastructure will cost the firms a total of Rs.113.899 billion. During the fiscal year 2022–23, the SNGPL and SSGC intend to invest a total of Rs113,899 million, with Rs27,669 million going toward transmission projects, Rs77,484 million going toward distribution projects, and Rs8,746 million going toward miscellaneous projects. Pakistan has a vast gas distribution system that includes 41,231km of service gas pipes, 155,679km of distribution pipelines, and more than 13,513km of transmission pipelines.

The number of gas consumers has increased from 10.3 million to more than 10.7 million throughout the country, the document said. In order to increase industrial production, the companies are also working on at least three important projects to deliver gas to two special economic zones (SEZs) and an industrial park in their respective regions. To advance these ongoing projects - one in each of Balochistan, Sindh, and Punjab provinces - the government has provided money totalling Rs 431.45 million under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP 2022-23).

With a budget of Rs100 million for the current fiscal year, the SSGC is building a pipeline to supply 10 MMCFD of re-gasified liquefied natural gas to Bostan Special Economic Zone in Balochistan province and a dedicated line to supply 13 MMCFD of RLNG to Bin Qasim Industrial Park in Karachi, Sindh province, with funds totalling Rs74.71 million. Similar to this, the SNGPL is moving forward with a plan to deliver 40 MMCFD of gas/RLNG to Allama Iqbal Industrial City, a Special Economic Zone in Faisalabad in the Punjab province, for which the government has allocated Rs256.74 million in cash in the PSDP 2022–23.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk