MDs, BoDs Dissolved – Committee formed for inquiry against SSGCL, SNGPL

PM Imran Khan while chairing an emergency meeting regarding Gas Shortfall in the country ordered an inquiry against Managing Directors (MDs) of Gas companies for withholding information regarding gas demands in the winter and faulty equipment which has led to countrywide shortage of gas.
PM has also issued directives to dissolve the boards of directors of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) over alleged dissatisfied performance.
Minister for Petroleum Division Ghulam Sarwar Khan informed the Prime Minister that both the gas companies have been responsible for the prevailing gas crisis in the country as they did not inform the ministry about the fault in some gas compressor plants and provided inaccurate estimates about gas demand in the month of December. The premier was told that consumers of Karachi are facing problem due to low gas production in the south while fault in gas compressor plants at Nawabshah and Saran led to gas shortage in the north of the country.
A fact-finding committee has been formed in this regard, headed by Ogra Chairperson Uzma Adil Khan. Qazi Saleem Siddiqui (DGPC), Shahid Yousaf (DG Gas) and Imran Ahmad (DG LG) would be its members. They would conduct an inquiry against MDs of SNGPL and SSGCL and report back to the prime minister within 72 hours.
In December 2018, SSGCL was getting 1,200 mmcfd indigenous gas while it was receiving 1,280 mmcfd gas in December 2017. This shortfall of 80 mmcfd is due to the natural depletion of indigenous gas reserves. Moreover gas supplies from three fields namely Kunner, Pasaki and Gambat have been reduced by 50 mmcfd from November 22, 2018, as a consequence of curtailment due to condensate storage problem at the fields and refineries. Hence the shortfall is 130 mmcfd as compared to last year.
At present, the government has already reconstituted the boards of six companies including Pakistan State Oil (PSO), Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO), Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Government Holding (Private) Limited (GHPL), Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC), and Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL).