Salim Ahmed
Lahore: New feed gas options for producing urea should be explored expeditiously as gas from Mari gas field, which runs 90% of country’s fertilizer plants, would start delpeting in 6-8 years.
Out of country’s total annual urea production of 6.2 million tons, the FFC, Fatima Fertilizers and Engro Fertilizers produce approximately 5.2 million tons of urea from the plants which are situated in a radius of about 60km and are dependent on Mari gas fields.
Mari gas fields which had reserves of over 6 trillion cubic feet of gas, has now come down to 2 trillion cubic feet of gas which may last for another 8 to 10 years. Although, gas exploration is an ongoing activity and there are new gas discoveries as well, fertilizer industry feels that department concerned should seriously look for gas exploration and other options for smooth supply of gas to urea manufacturing plants.
Asif Tajik, Senior Vice President Engro Fertilizers while talking to Media on a visit to his plant in Daharki city said that Ghotki District is one of the most revenue generating region of the Sindh which houses fertilizer plants that produce 90% of the total national urea production and also produces over 600MW of power through different gas-fired IPPs.
Asif Tajik said that urea fertiliser is so essential for the enhancing productivity of crops that if there were no urea to support the crops, half of the world population may not find enough food.
He said that urea fertilizer is given special importance and priority by the Governments across the globe because it helps in ensuring the food security of the nations.
Explaining the reasons of exporting surplus urea last year, Asif Tajik said that fertilizer industry had huge inventory of urea which was difficult to store and handle while there was very little demand in the market at that time. It was a right decision which was taken from the perspective of inventory management given the realities of that time, he added.