Gas deficit in Pakistan looms large as country fails to procure LNG cargoes

Pakistan is set to face an unprecedented gas deficit in the upcoming months due to failure to attract the LNG trading companies in response to its tender floated last month, local media said.

The News International Reported that Pakistan will not be able to import 1.2 bcfd (billion cubic feet per day) LNG each in December and January. Instead, the country will be able to import just 900mmcfd in each month with a deficit of 300 mmcfd (million cubic feet per day), the report said.

This crisis-like situation comes as Pakistan received no response from Liquefied natural gas (LNG) trading companies, regarding LNG cargoes.

"This would be a double jeopardy for the government creating a mammoth political backlash from the masses sick of high inflation for a very long time,'' a senior official at the country's Energy Ministry told The News.

"The production of local gas has fallen to 2.8 bcfd and the country can import 1.2 bcfd LNG which will not be fully exploited in the coming winter. In the winters the demand goes up to 5 bfcd whereas the country will only have 3.7 bcfd in December and January for failure in purchasing eight LNG cargoes."

According to the Pakistani daily, even after procuring the LNG cargoes during the peak demand in the winter months, there would be a sizeable gas crisis.

Experts believe that the intensity of the gas crisis would increase to a level where the government would not be able to provide gas to the power and export sector. "This means that in December and January, the country's economic and industrial activities will virtually come to standstill," the official said.

Sindh Province is already witnessing a severe gas crisis and it intensified further as the companies suspended gas supply to non-export industries for three days, local media reported.

Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) in Sindh is facing a severe shortage of gas pressure along with the shortage of RLNG (re-gasified liquefied natural gas) supply, reported Geo News.

Due to the crisis, gas supply to private power plants, including non-export industries has been suspended till last Monday.

( With inputs from ANI )

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