Quetta Natural Gas Pipe Line Project (January 6, 1983)

The availability of Sui Gas in Baluchistan, a long cherished desire of the people of the Province remained unfulfilled for nearly 3 decades and was given due priority by the present Government.
The 344 km long Quetta Natural Gas Pipeline Project from Shikarpur to Quetta costing over Seven hundred and sixty million rupees and passing through the roughest terrain — the unpredictable Bolan River, the vast desert plains and the water logged marshy areas, has finally been laid through the dedicated and untiring efforts of Sui Gas Transmission Company Limited (SGTC) with the determined support of the Government of Baluchistan and the blessings of the President of Pakistan. This company was established in 1954 with the objectives of exploiting natural gas reserves discovered at a remote and desolate location at Sui in the Province of Baluchistan. The detailed Project planning and designing, engineering work and construction of the Pipeline has been undertaken solely by Pakistani Engineers of SGTC. The Project feasibility prepared by the SGTC was approved by the Government of Pakistan on 24th September, 1980 with the Foreign Exchange assistance from Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) and the construction of the Pipeline was undertaken onthel6th September, 18~1 while commissioning of the pipeline was scheduled in June, 1983. In order to extend the benefits of natural gas to the people of Baluchistan expeditiously, a determined and dedicated effort by the Pakistani Engineers and Workers has resulted in completion of the Project ahead of schedule, which is historic occasion for the entire Nation and is being inaugurated by the President of Pakistan, General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq on January 6, 1983.
The 12 inch diameter, 344 km pipeline is integrated with the 18 inch Indus Right Bank Pipeline(IRBP) at a point about 25 km upstream of Shikarpur and passes through the towns of Jacobabad, Jhatpat, Dera Murad Jamali, Sibi, Mach, Kolpur, Darwaza and Sariab and is designed to accelerate the pace of industrial development at Quetta and in the under developed areas in the Province of Sind and Baluchistan. The supply of natural gas to these area will contribute enormously toward the socio-economic betterment of the people through the establishment of an industrial infrastructure.
To commemorate this event of great national importance, Pakistan Post Office is issuing a postage stamp of Re. 1/- denomination on January 6, 1983.