ISLAMABAD: QatarEnergy has extended its force majeure by another month after declaring it on March 4, 2026, following attack on its Ras Laffan LNG production complex.
As a result, Pakistan will continue to depend on expensive spot LNG imports while expecting long-term contractual supplies to resume in September.
Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Ali Pervaiz Malik told The News the force majeure, which was initially imposed after attack on the world’s largest LNG export terminal, has now been extended until end of August.
He said Pakistan expects its scheduled term LNG cargoes from Qatar to begin arriving again in September if restriction is lifted as anticipated.
The minister said he would soon brief Prime Minister on latest situation and seek his intervention to engage with Qatar’s leadership for early withdrawal of force majeure to ensure uninterrupted LNG supplies to Pakistan.
Malik said Pakistan had earlier secured five LNG cargoes from Qatar that had been loaded before the attack on Ras Laffan facility. However, those cargoes remained stranded after US-Israel attack on Iran disrupted shipping through Strait of Hormuz.
The cargoes have now reached Pakistan, leaving no additional pre-loaded cargoes available under existing arrangement.
Consequently, government has been forced to meet domestic gas demand through spot LNG purchases acquired via international competitive bidding.
Pakistan has so far received five term LNG cargoes from QatarEnergy under government-to-government agreement at a price linked to 13.37 percent of the Brent crude benchmark.
These include: Al Kharaitiyat (210,000 cubic metres), which arrived on May 12; Mihzem (160,000 cubic metres), on May 16; Fuwairit (123,000 cubic metres), on May 28; Lebrethah (164,000 cubic metres), on June 12; and MRAIKH (170,148 cubic metres), on June 22.
In addition to term supplies, Pakistan has imported three spot LNG cargoes. The latest vessel, ARADA, arrived on July 4 at a price of $16.7372 per MMBtu. Earlier, Seapeak Magellan, carrying 140,000 cubic metres and supplied by TotalEnergies, arrived on April 30. BW Helios, carrying 167,000 cubic metres sourced from Oman, reached Pakistan on June 9.
The government is now set to receive its fourth spot LNG cargo on July 10-11 after securing shipment through competitive bidding at $17.37 per MMBtu. With the arrival of latest spot cargo, Pakistan’s LNG imports this year will increase to nine cargoes, comprising five term cargoes from QatarEnergy and four spot purchases, underscoring government’s increasing reliance on spot market amid continued disruption to long-term LNG supplies.
