Residents queue with empty cooking gas cylinders outside a government-run gas filling plant in Najaf governorate following rumors of a gas shortage, which officials say are unfounded. Photo by 964media.
Rumors of LPG shortage spark lines outside Najaf gas plants
NAJAF — Long lines formed Thursday outside government-run cooking gas plants in Najaf governorate as residents sought liquefied petroleum gas cylinders after rumors spread of a shortage, despite officials saying supplies are sufficient and production has increased.
Zaid al-Moussawi, media officer for the Najaf Gas Filling Company, denied that the governorate is facing a crisis, saying output exceeded typical levels.
“There is no gas crisis. Najaf’s production is very normal and even higher than usual, reaching 31,000 cylinders yesterday, compared with about 25,000 cylinders on regular days, which indicates a clear abundance in production,” he told 964media.
Al-Moussawi said the crowds were driven by reports that cylinders were unavailable in some neighborhoods and by price differences between government plants and private agents.
“The factories sell the cylinder for 5,000 Iraqi dinars (about $3.40), which is cheaper than the agent,” he said, adding that some agents had stopped delivering to certain areas. “This pushed citizens to head directly to our government plants at the same time.”
He said most residents can obtain cylinders quickly. “A person gets a cylinder within ten to fifteen minutes and leaves. These queues are only for those who claim gas is not available in their areas or that the agent does not come to them,” he said.
Al-Moussawi said daily production in Najaf typically ranges between 25,000 and 27,000 cylinders. “As of yesterday, Najaf’s production reached 31,000 cylinders,” he said.
He said authorities were moving to address reports of price manipulation in some areas.
“There are some weak-minded people who exploit this period to benefit from low incomes,” al-Moussawi said. “We have contacted the National Security Service and the economic crimes division to follow up on this file and regulate the distribution process.”
Al-Moussawi said Najaf has both government and private filling plants, with citizens able to buy directly from government facilities while private plants supply agents. He said the northern Najaf government plant on the Najaf–Karbala road and the southern government plant on the Najaf–Manathira road are operating normally.
“Yesterday’s output exceeded 4,000 cylinders at the northern plant and more than 3,000 at the southern plant, in addition to 11 private plants producing between 1,000 and 2,000 cylinders per day,” he said.
Earlier this week, Iraq’s General Company for Gas Filling and Services denied reports of a nationwide shortage, saying LPG supplies remain continuously available in Baghdad and other governorates. General Manager Anmar Ali Hussein said government plants in the capital are producing more than 160,000 cylinders per day to meet winter demand. “Our plants in the capital are operating at an accelerated pace,” he said, urging citizens not to rely on what he described as misleading reports on social media.
On Jan. 6, the Ministry of Oil also said claims of a cooking gas crisis were unfounded. Ministry spokesman Sahib Bazoon said there was “no real crisis in gas cylinders” and described the situation as “deliberate confusion by some transporters,” adding that additional shipments would be sent to supply stations and that Iraq has self-sufficiency in liquefied gas.