ISLAMABAD: The government faced sharp criticism during a Senate panel meeting on Thursday regarding the ongoing gas crisis, with speakers pointing to poor coordination and mismanagement as the root causes of both the oversupply in the network and the shortage of gas for consumers.
The Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum, chaired by Senator Umar Farooq, called for another session with the petroleum minister present to address the issue further. The committee also expressed frustration over the delay in filling the crucial position of Director General for Petroleum Concession (DGPC), which is responsible for overseeing oil and gas exploration in the country.
During the session, a team from the petroleum division, led by Additional Secretary Momin Agha, informed the committee that drilling activities had been conducted at 56 locations over the past three years, with a total expenditure of $1.23 billion. These efforts resulted in the production of 7,696 barrels of oil per day and 260 million cubic feet per day of gas.
The committee members expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing vacancy of the DGPC post, considering it to be a key position for the country’s oil and gas exploration efforts. They criticized the government for failing to fill the position after four months and emphasized that the recruitment process should have begun well in advance of the vacancy. The committee instructed the petroleum division to urgently appoint someone to this critical role.
Senator Quratul Ain Marri raised concerns about the gas shortages in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, areas served by Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited. Simultaneously, she pointed out reports of excess supplies in the network that were causing pressure issues.
The Director General of Gas acknowledged the curtailment of gas in the northern regions but explained that the southern regions were facing shortages due to depleting gas fields. Additionally, the curtailment of imported gas was attributed to lower demand from the power sector, as it was economically unfeasible to supply gas at Rs1200 per unit to domestic consumers when its actual rate was Rs3600 per unit. He also highlighted that the country lacked adequate storage capacity, with pipelines unable to store gas beyond certain limits.
