ISLAMABAD: Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has issued 20 licenses for setting up LPG Auto-Refueling stations in different parts of Pakistan during last fiscal year. “The authority also granted 12 permits for operational marketing of storage and filling plants, 37 for construction of LPG storage and filling plants, one for storage and refueling of LPG and one for production and storage of LPG facility,” official sources in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources said in an interview. They said that the licenses were awarded after fulfillment of all codal formalities, requirements and verification of the construction site by the third party inspectors in accordance with LPG Rules 2001 and Regulatory Framework. The sources said LPG stations could only be set up on roads or highways having minimum width of 60 feet, which was the criterion for issuance of no-objection certificate for the fuel outlets. They expressed confidence that the licenses would help improve supply and distribution of LPG especial in winter season, besides creating more job opportunities in the sector. Commenting on the prevailing natural gas situation across the country, they said, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited and Sui Southern Gas Company have not issued new industrial gas connection during the years 2013-14 and 2014-15. The companies, they said, received a large number of requests by industrial units for enhancement of gas volume, but they regretted due to prevailing vast gap between demand and supply of natural gas and imposition of moratorium. They said the companies were making all out efforts to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to domestic consumers, for which the existing shortfall was being bridged through load-management in different sectors. “The situation worsens during winter months on account of usage of gas heaters and geysers,” the sources said, adding that due to exceptional increase in demand during winters, consumers might face low pressure in some localities.