QUETTA: Natural gas demand has a wide seasonal impact between the summer and winter months. Demand for gas increases four times more in winters than in summers in areas such as Balochistan that experience bitterly cold weather.
This mainly arises due to the space heating and extra geyser load that sets in during the winter months.
The last few days have seen a sudden drop in temperatures in Quetta and adjoining areas from 22 degree centigrade to 12 degree centigrade. Consequently, the usage of gas heaters and unauthorized use of compressors by the customers has increased extraordinarily.
This has resulted in the reduction of gas in supply lines causing low pressure problems in isolated pockets and for the tail-end customers.
To overcome the situation and to substantially lessen the customers’ woes, gas pressures were enhanced immediately and affected lines were filled in a period of 2 days.
Gas supply consequently increased from 75 mmcfd to 142 mmcfd and the supply situation in Quetta is now back to normal.
SSGC is totally aware of the inconvenience caused to its customers as a result of low gas pressure due to sudden drop in temperatures.
However, it must be mentioned that full customer care is being provided to the customers and survey teams are immediately dispatched to the affected areas to attend to their complaints to remove bottle necks in bringing gas supply to normal levels.
The company requests the customers to practice gas conservation at homes by discontinuing the illegal use of compressors to meet their unauthorized gas consumption and refrain from tampering with meters.
It is pertinent to mention here that SSGC is monitoring gas load on a daily basis whereby the gas consumption is reviewed and adjusted daily in accordance with the Government of Pakistan’s Gas Load Management Plan.