Vietnam to shut Nam Con Son gas pipeline for maintenance
Vietnam's Nam Con Son gas pipeline will be shut from September 9 for periodic maintenance, cutting natural gas supplies to power plants responsible for 13.5 percent of the country's electricity output, a company official said on September 6.
"The pipeline will undergo the maintenance, which is conducted every five years, so it will be closed totally between September 9 to 14," said an official of the Nam Con Son Pipeline Co, which is 51% owned by Petrovietnam Gas.
Maintenance at gas suppliers' exploration areas in the Nam Con Son basin started on September 5 for completion on September 19, the official said.
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As a result, gas supply has been reduced to around 11.5 million cubic metres (cbm) per day, from 21.5 million cbm previously, state utility Vietnam Electricity group said in a separate statement.
Electricity transmission had been increased from the northern region to the southern region, while generation had been maximised from other thermal power plants.
Gas-fired power plants using Nam Con Son gas account for 40% of the electricity capacity in the southern region, home to Vietnam's many major industrial zones.
Vietnam produced an estimated 7.26 billion cbm of natural gas in January-August, up 4.2% from a year ago, while electricity output in the same period rose 11.6% to 116.2 billion kilowatt hours, government data showed.
Maintenance at the Nam Com Son gas supply chain was last carried out in late 2011.