Gas Crisis Augments, Yemen to Import Gas from Abroad

Yemen government announced recently it will import gas for household use from abroad in an effort to cover up for the increasing demand and to face future crises. 

Over the last two days, there has been demand over gas cylinders and gas for cars as hundreds of cars and buses were seen lining in front of gas stations. Hundreds of cars where lining on Friday before Al-Jam'eh station waiting for their turn.

"I have been waiting since morning to fuel my car. However, I feel the gas will finish before my turn comes. Instead of roaming the streets in search for livelihood, I am here to get gas fuel," said bus driver Mohammed Moqbil.

"Yesterday there was no gas and I searched all stations in the capital; however, in vain. I have to use gas because it is quite cheap.

You know my bus is an old one and if I operate with petrol, I would make no money to feed my five children and wife," he added.

With the insufficient supply, there has been an increased demand over gas cylinders and the problem augments during the occasions like Ramadan, Al-Fitr and Al-Adha Eids.

In return, Minister of Oil and Mineral Khalid Bahah announced last week his ministry would resort to imports over 2008 and 2009 to meet the rising demands of citizens in all provinces over gas to make a reserve for in preparation for any future crisis.

Bahah hinted they have prepared an integrated project to be submitted to the cabinet over the coming weeks for discussion and to be referred later to Parliament for final approval, hinting the project includes expanding the capacity of existing labs together with storage facilities.

Ibb local Mohammed Abdulaziz, 42, believes the gas shortage is not new and blames the Yemen Gas Company for this shortage, hinting they do not work properly and they conspire with traders against citizens as they do maintenance to some gas stations before providing stock in the market.

Abdulaziz further added gas distributors gave up their wandering in zones and areas, maintaining he went in search for gas cylinders to different distributors but he found nothing and upon his return his neighbor gave him one.

Still, Oil Minister Bahah stresses that domestic migration has caused the shortage of gas which mounts to 130 ton/day, maintaining that turning cars working in diesel and petrol to gas has caused more demand over gas. He hinted that vehicles use up 5 percent of gas for fuel.

Observers accuse state of being thoughtless about citizens' difficulties while searching for gas, hinting it was better to allocate enough quantities of gas to cover the local demand instead of exporting them to Korea and America. 

Yemen's reserves of gas are estimated at about 10.2 tcf and the first consignment of liquefied gas is due to be exported to Koreas by the end of 2008.