By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: The operation, launched by Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) against gas pilferers and the use of illegal compressors, is in full swing to bring down the Unaccounted for Gas (UFG) ratio and ensure judicious use of the already scarce commodity.
The SSGC recently unearthed around 15 large industrial units that were found involved in using illegal gas compressors, besides imposing a fine amounting to Rs 300 million on one of the industrial units. “A swift operation is underway in other localities to prevent such illegal activities,” the company said in a tweet. The Karachi city has started witnessing improved gas pressure after the SSGC launched an effective operation against the elements depriving other consumers of the commodity through pumps and compressors. Similarly, the SNGPL seized one CNG station and three industrial units in Peshawar city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The company also had recovered Rs 80 million from the pilferers and arrested one accused. “The raids are continuing in different localities against the elements causing loss to the national exchequer and depriving the consumers of gas,” it said.
The UFG losses of SNGPL and SSGC stood at 8.83 per cent and 15.85 percent respectively during the fiscal year 2020-21. “Volumetric loss of SNGPL remained at 34,021 million cubic feet (mmcf) of gas and SSGC 67,476 mmcf of gas, mainly because of gas leakages, measurement errors and theft,”. In 2019-20, the SNGPL and SSGC had prevented a volumetric loss of around 9,938 mmcf gas against the UFG reduction target of 14,806 mmcf gas.
The UFG is a phenomenon of gas loss that occurred due to various technical factors when gas flowed from fields to end consumers.
It is calculated as the difference between metered gas volume injected into the transmission and distribution network (Point of Dispatch/Delivery) and the metered gas delivered to the end consumers (Consumer Meter Station) during a financial year.
