February 15, 2008	Friday	Safar 07, 1429

LAHORE, Feb 14: With weather easing a little bit, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited on Thursday restored supply to 1,250 industrial units and ordered restoration to another 100 units.

According to the company officials, the improved weather has started relieving pressure and the gas deficit, which had gone beyond 700 million cubic feet (mmcf), has come down to 600mmcf.

The 100mmcf relief has been passed on to the industry and restoration process has started. They hoped that the crisis would be over in another two weeks, depending on weather.

“This year was exceptional,” says Mujahid Anwer of the SNGPL. Last year, the deficit ended in January and February was totally free of trouble. This year, the weather became too harsh to allow smooth supplies. However, things had started improving and situation should ease by the day. There was no forecast of any other dip in mercury and gas supplies should improve correspondingly with improvement in weather, he hoped.