ISLAMABAD, Jun 8 (APP):The two gas utility companies, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) collectively connected 92 villages/towns to the gas network during the first nine months of the FY 2023 (July-March).
According to the Economic Survey 2022-23 released by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar at a news conference here Thursday, the two state-owned companies also laid a 225-kilometer (KM) gas transmission network, 1,170 KM mains, and 63 KM service lines.
Furthermore, they provided 7,102 additional gas connections nationwide, including 5,068 domestic, 1,948 commercial, and 86 industrial.
As per the Economic Survey document, the country has an extensive gas network of over 13,775 KM transmission, 157,395 KM mains, and 41,352 KM services gas pipelines to cater to the requirement of more than 10.7 million consumers across the country. During July-March FY2023, the average natural gas consumption was about 3,258 MMCFD, including 631 MMCFD volume of RLNG.
“Natural gas is expected to supply approximately 520,801 new consumers (this target is subject to approval/revision by OGRA) during FY2024,” reads the document.
The minister highlighted that the government had been pursuing its policies for enhancing indigenous gap production and imported gas to meet the increasing energy demand in the country.
During July-January FY 2023, the total supply of LPG stood at 843,878 tonnes, wherein 79.6 percent was met through imports. Currently, 11 LPG producers and 273 LPG marketing companies operate in the country with more than 7,000 authorized distributors.
The gas utility companies have planned to invest Rs 38,674 million in transmission projects, Rs 47,700 million in distribution projects, and Rs 9,416 million in other projects bringing the total investment to Rs 95,790 million during FY2024.
Furthermore, an investment of approximately Rs 2.75 billion is made during July-March FY2023.
