Azim Iqbal Siddiqui, MD, SSGC held a media briefing to apprise the newspersons about the repercussions to the gas utility's system from the Annual-Turn-Around (ATA) of OMV Pakistan-operated Kadanwari gas field.

Kadanwari field, which supplies 200 mmcfd gas to SSGC underwent annual operational maintenance from 8th to 23rd of July, 2011, directly reducing the Company's capacity to serve its customers in meeting its normal gas requirements.

In a well-attended briefing, organized by the Corporate Communication Department on July 5, 2011, the MD said that although ATAs of the gas fields have been a regular feature in the past, its impact is huge these days since the SSGC gets 1050 mmcfd gas when it should normally be getting 1250 mmcfd from the fields.

The MD announced that CNG stations across Sindh will remain closed for two days on July 11 and 12 due to Kadanwari's ATA to prevent the Company's line pack from collapsing and help distribute saved gas to the power sector. In this regard, the MD said that SSGC has already requested the industrial sector to use natural gas with purpose and to voluntarily curtail its gas consumption by 10% during the above mentioned period.

The MD said that from next year, gas supply would increase when the Kunar-Pashaki gas field would be able to inject 125 mmcfd gas to SSGC's system. He added that in 2012, Latif Gas Field will also be integrated with Miano Field which will also help to shore up gas supplies.

Zuhair Siddiqui, DMD (Corporate Services), Shaukat Baloch, SGM (Transmission), Salim A. Mughal, SGM (Distribution-South) and Yusuf J. Ansari, SGM (MS) accompanied the MD in the briefing.