The Sui Southern Gas Company Limited on Monday decided to suspend the gas supply to CNG stations across Sindh and Balochistan from December 1 till February 15 following an increase in demand due to winter.

In a tweet, the SSGC said: “Gas to CNG stations [has been] suspended due to extraordinary increase in demand with the advent of the winter season.”

The gas company also shared a message on the social networking website.

“In adherence to Government of Pakistan’s approved Gas Load Management Plan that places domestic and commercial consumers on top of the gas sectoral list, it has been decided to suspend the gas supply to all CNG stations across Sindh and Balochistan as per the following schedule: from December 1, 2021 (8:00 am) till February 15, 2022 (10:00 pm),” it read.

It added that the decision has been taken to make gas available to domestic consumers during the current winter season that has already seen a major spike in the demand for gas.

The development comes after SSGC announced to discontinue gas supplies to all captive power plants (CPP) of general industries (non-export) across Sindh and Balochistan.

The discontinuation of gas supply to CPPs was exercised under the Gas Sales Agreement (GSA) signed with CPPs, which states: “Gas supply will be provided by the Company on ‘as and when available’ basis only during the period March to November each year.

The consumer will make dual firing arrangements to avoid loss of production as and when Gas is not available during March to November and also during December to February when the Company will keep the Consumer’s Gas supply disconnected at his cost, each year.”

Gas supply to all these CPPs shall remain discontinued till further orders; however zero-rated export industry including its CPPs along with the fertilizer sector will continue to get the gas.

SSGC had said that the volume of gas curtailed from this arrangement would be diverted to domestic customers .