Pakistan is working to secure the passage of two liquefied natural gas cargoes from Qatar as authorities race to avoid supply disruptions caused by tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.
The two vessels are already loaded and positioned near the mouth of the strait, with Pakistani authorities engaged in diplomatic and operational coordination to ensure their safe movement into open waters, the officials said. The effort includes consultations with Iranian counterparts.
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik has held discussions with Iran’s ambassador in Islamabad, followed by contacts between Pakistani officials and Iranian authorities aimed at facilitating the transit of the ships, the officials said.
The urgency reflects tight domestic supply conditions. Pakistan’s immediate LNG needs are currently being met by the Seapeak Magellan, which is docked at the Pakistan GasPort Consortium terminal with about 140,000 cubic meters of LNG arranged by TotalEnergies at $18.40 per million British thermal units.
The terminal is handling close to 300 million cubic feet per day of re-gasified LNG, with about 250 million cubic feet allocated to the power sector. That is being supplemented by 150 million cubic feet per day of local natural gas priced at RLNG rates, while another 45 million cubic feet is being routed to K-Electric power plants, the officials said.
Current supplies are expected to meet consumer demand only through the first 10 days of May, making the timely arrival of the two Qatari cargoes critical for maintaining system balance during the early summer demand period.
Pakistan has faced rising risks to energy imports because of regional geopolitical tensions. Earlier attempts to bring in four Qatari LNG cargoes were disrupted after conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran affected shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the officials.
Despite the supply pressure, Pakistan has so far avoided widespread power cuts. The Power Division has said that higher availability of re-gasified LNG and hydropower generation of around 6,000 megawatts has helped stabilize the national grid, with only revenue-based load management continuing in some areas.
