LAHORE, Jan 21: The Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) on Tuesday stopped supply to all CNG stations and industrial areas in Punjab and the NWFP after two of its four main supply lines on the Punjab-Balochistan border were damaged as a result of sabotage.
This is second attack on the pipeline in almost 45 days.
The pipelines supplying gas to the Sui Southern Gas Pipeline Limited (SSGPL) in the area were attacked on Dec 10 also. Not much damage was done.
According to details, a rocket was fired at the pipelines at 7.30pm that hit the Sui-Kashmore gasoline about 18 miles from the Sui field in Doli, Rajanpur district.
The Sui field provides about 45 per cent gas through two lines of 24” and 30” diameter which have been ruptured, interrupting around 200 million cubic feet of supply from the Sui and Pirkho gas fields.
There are also reports of an armed clash between the Bugti and Mazari tribes which apparently resulted in the attack. But sources in Balochistan insist it was an act of sabotage.
According to reports, both pipelines had exploded after the attack which interrupted 500 million cubic feet to the SNGPL. But, according to the SNGPL claims, the interruption was partial and the company would be able to manage the load by snapping supplies to 500 big industries. This is in addition to the 200 industries already shut down by it, taking the total to 900 out of total 2500 on the SNGPL system.
The company had not stopped supply to domestic and commercial consumers until the filing of this report.
At present, total demand of the SNGPL stands at 1,400 million cubic feet against the total supply of 1,050. But the Tuesday sabotage has taken it further down by 200 million cubic feet. Shut down of 200 industries had saved it 300 million cubic feet. It was also able to increase supply by 50 million cubic feet by increasing compression of gas.
But today’s attack has also taken away the option of increasing compression, at least from the Sui sector. Thus creating problem of another 20 million cubic feet.
According to a company press release, repair teams have been mobilized and the company hopes to restore supplies within the next 36 hours.