ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday received a long-term Qatar LNG cargo after the vessel carrying the shipment was diverted back from the Strait of Hormuz on July 31.
The LNG vessel Al Areesh berthed at the Pakistan GasPort Limited (PGPL) terminal at around 11:30am, carrying 141,550 cubic metres of LNG under Pakistan’s government-to-government (GtG) agreement with Qatar, a senior official told The News.
The cargo is priced at 13.37 per cent of Brent, making it substantially cheaper than spot LNG, with prevailing spot prices having climbed above $21.12 per MMBtu and potentially exceeding $23 per MMBtu if Pakistan were to procure fresh cargoes through the spot market.
Senior government officials said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik and officials of the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) remained involved in efforts to secure the safe passage of the already-loaded cargo through the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions in the Gulf.
The shipment is particularly significant for Pakistan after QatarEnergy declared force majeure on March 4, 2026, following an attack on its Ras Laffan LNG production facilities on March 2. The force majeure affecting Pakistan was subsequently extended until August, disrupting scheduled long-term LNG deliveries.
Officials said Pakistan can resume regular LNG supplies under its long-term agreement with QatarEnergy if shipping conditions in the Strait of Hormuz return to normal.The latest arrival also comes as Pakistan’s two LNG import terminals – the Engro Elengy Terminal Pakistan Limited (EETPL) and Pakistan GasPort Limited (PGPL) – remain heavily engaged with imported LNG stored in their floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs).
Once the LNG already stored at the terminals is regasified, officials said, one of the facilities will become available to receive another QatarEnergy cargo.Pakistan had earlier imported a 140,000-cubic-metre spot LNG cargo on July 27 to partially bridge the supply shortfall caused by the disruption in long-term deliveries.
With Monday’s shipment, Pakistan’s LNG imports during the current supply period since March 2026 have reached 14 cargoes.The higher procurement cost is also likely to add to pressure on electricity tariffs. Officials said electricity generated from imported LNG currently costs around Rs35.5 per unit.
