ISLAMABAD: Less than a week after the government hiked the prices of petroleum products by a whopping Rs55, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on Thursday notified a massive 19-22 per cent increase in the price of regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) for sales at the distribution stage by the two Sui gas companies for March.

The increase was mainly because of increase in terminal charges amid lower import molecules and minor increase in import price, the dataset from the authority showed.

The rare increase (19-22pc) in RLNG price for March has come following a minor 0.5pc increase in February and two consecutive monthly reductions in December (6pc) and January (5pc). The prices had cumulatively increased by 4.4pc in October and November.

The Karachi-based Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) serves consumers in Sindh and Balochistan and its system losses at the distribution stage stand at 12.55pc, compared to 10.6pc a couple of months earlier.

On the other hand, the Lahore-based Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) provides gas to consumers in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Its system losses at the distribution stage were also reported at almost 9pc compared to 7.47pc in October.

According to Ogra’s notification, the RLNG sale price for SNGPL at the transmission stage went up by 19.3pc to $12.49 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) for March from $10.47 mmBtu in February. It was $10.41 per mmBtu in January 2026, $10.92 per mmBtu in December 2025 and $11.24 per mmBtu in September.

The sale price at the distribution stage for SNGPL was, thus, increased by 19.6pc to $13.55 per mmBtu for March against $11.335 per mmBtu in February. It was previously $11.27 per mmBtu in January, $11.83 per mmBtu in December and $12.24 per mmBtu in November.

On the other side, the RLNG sale price for SSGCL has been increased at the transmission stage by 22pc to $11.12 per mmBtu for March from $9.03 per mmBtu in February. It was $8.98 per mmBtu in January, $9.47 per mmBtu in December and $9.86 per mmBtu in September.

The sale price at distribution stage for the company was also increased by 22pc to $12.54 per mmBtu for March against $10.27 per mmBtu in February. It was $10.21 per mmBtu in January, $10.77 per mmBtu in December and $11.01 per mmBtu in September.

The regulatory authority said the increase in RLNG price was due to the “increase in the delivered ex-ship (DES) price, import-related cost and terminal charges”.

The unaccounted for gas (UFG) for both companies at the distribution stage has gone up since January.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2026