SSGC to start gas load shedding form next year

QUETTA , Sui Sothern Gas Company (SSGC) is likely to start load shedding of gas in view of increasing demand and small supply and theft of the gas at massive scale.

This was stated by Deputy General Manager SSGC Balochistan Haroon Rasheed at a Get together here Thursday. Deputy General Manager (Karachi) Syeda Nasreen, Agha Muhammad Baloch Chief Engineer, Shamsullah Acting Chief Manager and Anwar Baloch Zonal manager were also present. He said Company has made efforts and succeeded not to resort to load shedding in Balochistan but there is acute shortage of supply and if same situation prevails, Company would start load shedding of gas in Balochistan form next year. He regretted that most of gas stealing takes place in Balochistan. Small people pay their gas bills while more steal gas. He if stealing is stopped, Company can overcome its problems. Replying to a question he said during the year 2010, nine incidents of gas pipeline blowing took place. These caused more than Rupees 100 million loss to the Company. Only one incident of blowing up of 18 inch dia pipeline in Quetta very recently caused about 250 million loss alone.

He said SSGC is vertically integrated for transmission and distribution of natural gas. It does not produce gas itself but it purchase the gas and then sells it. He said during November 2010, SSGC purchased 2065 mmcfd gas and sold only 1649 mmcfd gas thus causing more than 50 percent loss. He asked the people to use quality stoves and heaters rather than using substandard stoves and heaters. He said gas is blessing of Almighty Allah and it should be saved from going waste. Replying to a question he said we have started giving connections of gas in Noshki while in Surab work would start soon. He said there are 204065 consumers of gas in Balochistan. Of these 202001 are domestic consumers, 2010 commercial and 54 industrial. He said SSGC manufactures domestic gas meters in cou! ntrys on ly plant. These meters are also exported to other countries, he added. Zonal Baloch Anwar Baloch gave details of gas stealing by people through photographs. He aid thus gas is used in small quantity but is wasted in large scale.