ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik on Thursday directed gas utilities to take immediate measures to ease supply pressures on domestic consumers as severe winter conditions triggered a sharp rise in nationwide demand. The minister stressed that protecting household consumers during peak winter remained the government’s highest priority.

Chairing a high level meeting with senior officials of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, Sui Southern Gas Company and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, the minister took notice of widespread complaints regarding gas shortages. He instructed gas companies to ensure maximum facilitation for domestic users and prevent undue hardship during extreme cold weather.

To strengthen oversight and ensure timely interventions, the minister directed gas utilities to submit weekly reports on demand and supply to the Petroleum Division, supported by daily operational monitoring. Officials informed the meeting that a detailed assessment of the previous twenty four hours gas supply situation was already being submitted every morning to enable swift corrective action.

Briefing the meeting, the managing director of SNGPL said gas supply had been increased from 691 million cubic feet per day to 746 million cubic feet per day since January 6. He added that production from the Shiva gas field had risen from 55 to 65 million cubic feet per day, helping improve availability for consumers.

The minister asked officials to explore all possible options to further reduce pressure on domestic consumers. He directed that the feasibility of diverting additional gas from the industrial sector to households during the critical winter period be examined wherever possible.

Meanwhile, the managing director of SSGC said the supply situation had improved following the restoration of output from two gas fields. He noted that an additional 39 million cubic feet per day was being supplied to domestic consumers compared to last year. He added that consultations were ongoing with industrial stakeholders on increasing weekly industrial gas shutdowns to prioritise household needs.