The Board of Directors of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has approved theproject to lay 295kms of pipeline from North Waziristan and Lakki Marwat's newly-discovered gas fields to the company's transmission network injection point.

In a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), SNGPL stated: “Pursuant to the discovery of new gas fields in the vicinity of North Waziristan and Lakki Marwat area, the operators of fields have approached SNGPL for laying of infrastructure/pipeline for injection of this gas into the company’s transmission system/grid.”

The company informed that its Board of Directors has approved the project.

Earlier this year, Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL), one of Pakistan’s largest integrated petroleum exploration and production companies, made a gas/condensate discovery in its exploration well located in North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Furthermore, last year, the Oil and Gas Company Limited (OGDCL) discovered gas and condensate reserves in Kohat Basin. ODGCL made this discovery over Kawagarh Formation from its exploratory efforts at well Wali # 01, which is located in FR Lakki, KP.

Meanwhile, SNGPL informed that the initially estimated quantity of gas expected through these fields is around 50MMCFD to 70MMCFD which will help bridge the gas supply and demand gap in Pakistan.

It informed that the estimated cost of the pipe lying project is Rs23.4 billion while the project is expected to be completed within FY 2022-23.

The development comes at a good time for the country that has seen massive power load-shedding and been crippled by gas shortage recently.