LAHORE, Sept 26: Gas supply to about 500 industries, mostly in the Punjab and some in the NWFP, would be suspended for more than two-and-a-half weeks due to closure of two gas fields in Sindh for maintenance and modifications from Oct 10 to 28.

The Qadirpur Gas Field, which supplies 500mmcf to the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) system of 1800mmcf, will remain shut for maintenance and plant modifications from Oct 10 to 18 while the Sawan Gas Field, which contributes 250mmcf to the system, will be closed from Oct 18 to 28. Both the fields are located in Sindh.

“We have already issued supply shutdown notices to the industry,” a senior SNGPL Official told Dawn on Friday.

He said the Qadirpur Gas Field would remain completely closed for at least five days and there would be a partial suspension of supply to the SNGPL for three days.

Similarly, the Sawan Gas Field will continue to provide partial supply to the system for a few days of its maintenance.

Therefore, he said, “only 100 larges units will face gas supply suspension initially. Later, the number of units will have to be increased to 400 to 500.”

He said only a few industrial units in the NWFP would be affected due to suspension in gas supply.

“A vast majority of the affected units (textile, cement, steel) are located in Punjab,” he said.

The official said the Qadirpur Gas Field is usually closed for maintenance during July when the gas demand remains lowest. However, he said, the field was being shut for maintenance in October because its management was doing some modifications to increase the supply of gas to the SNGPL system to 600mmcf from the existing 500mmcf.

The increased gas supply from the field would ultimately benefit the industry and they wouldn’t have to face long duration supply suspension during December and January, the official said.