Gas output at Sangu to be suspended or five days

Our Correspondent CHITTAGONG, Dec 17: Gas production at Sangu, the only offshore gas field of the country, will remain suspended temporarily from December 20 for maintenance work, officials said. Managing Director of Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company (KGDC) engineer Sanwar Hussain Chowdhury said the Sangu Gas Field operators have informed him officially that gas production at Sangu would remain suspended for four to Continued to page 7 Col. 6Continued from page 8 col. 1 five days from December 20 for conducting a routine maintenance work at the well. "I have received a letter this morning from the Sangu that carried the notice," he said and added that all activities will remain suspended as part of the maintenance work to be conducted at the Sangu platform and the processing plant at Fouzderhat terminal. The KGDC currently receives 12 million cubic feet of gas per day from the Sangu. The company, responsible for gas distribution in Chittagong, is already facing a deficit of 175 mmcft of gas as it is now supplied with 225 mmcft of natural gas daily against the total demand of about 400 mmcft. Temporary production suspension will add to the woes of the local industrial and commercial units as lion's share of the available gas has been diverted to state-owned fertiliser factories -- CUFL and KAFCO and the Power Development Board. Mr Sanwar said the authorities will sit on Sunday to decide on how the gas shortage caused due to the production suspension in Chittagong region will be met.