ISLAMABAD: Making steady progress in reducing the Unaccounted for Gas (UFG) ratio, the two-state companies Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) have collectively capped on the losses of around 2,476 MMCF gas against the 3,976 MMCF gas set for the first quarter of the current fiscal year.

During the period under review, the SNGPL performed well and exceeded the target of 1,425 MMCF (Million Cubic Feet) gas reduced 1,567 MMCF gas losses, while the SSGC saved 909 MMCF gas against the target of 2,551, according to an official document available with APP.

“The SSGC could not meet the targeted reduction owing to the ongoing activity of the network segmentation and rehabilitation of old leaking pipelines,” a senior official privy to petroleum sector development told this scribe.

However, he said, the company had been advised to expedite its efforts to ensure meeting the yearly targets.

Overall, the official said, the government had given the two companies a target of reducing the UFG ratio by 13.55 per cent (58,869 MMCF gas) during a three-year period from 2019-2020 to 2021-22.

The UFG, he said, was 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,” he elaborated.

In line with the government strategy to reduce line loss, he said, the gas companies were taking all possible measures to bring down the UFG ratio gradually in the coming years.

Under the strategy, the official said, inspection of all industrial, commercial and domestic consumers was being carried out regularly to prevent gas theft by taking prompt action against unauthorized connections and illegal networks.

The UFG, the official said, being one of the most critical elements in the gas sector, played a critical role in reducing the profitability of the gas transmission and distribution companies.

The official said almost all industrial customers had been ‘Cyber Locked’ by restricting unauthorized access to the customer meter stations and allowing entry to authorized personnel only.

Besides, he said, Electronic Volume Correctors had been installed at almost all the industries for strict check and balance on gas consumption and abnormalities.