Pakistan Secures Additional Qatari LNG Cargo to Ease Gas Shortage

A new consignment of Qatari LNG is en route to Pakistan following diplomatic discussions that included the involvement of Iranian officials, according to officials. The cargo has already crossed the Strait of Hormuz and is expected to dock at Port Qasim in the coming days.

This is the second Qatari LNG cargo obtained by Pakistan in the current month. The deliveries are intended to provide short-term support to the country’s power sector, which is experiencing continued gas shortages and load shedding ranging from six to twelve hours in several regions.

A representative from the Petroleum Division stated that the latest shipment passed through the critical Strait of Hormuz without incident. The first Qatari LNG cargo of the month arrived on September 10 aboard the Al Marrouna, carrying approximately 81,936 metric tonnes of LNG from Qatar’s Ras Laffan terminal.

Officials indicated that the newest cargo was acquired at a price corresponding to 13.37% of Brent. The import forms part of a government-to-government arrangement between Pakistan and Qatar, with the intention of easing the strain on the power sector.

As of September 21, data showed that the gas pipeline network held 4,792 million cubic feet (MMcf), while the power sector was consuming about 208 MMcf per day. Fertiliser sector gas use remained steady at 89 MMcf per day.

Domestic production has faced disruptions, including a halt in raw gas supplies from the Qadirpur field to Liberty Power since September 17 due to payment issues, and reduced gas input from other plants such as MEL’s GTH and Nashpa due to technical problems and annual maintenance.

Despite these interruptions, there has been no forced reduction of gas supply from any source on the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) network, according to officials.