Qatar LNG Cargo Reaches Pakistan After Strait of Hormuz Disruption
**ISLAMABAD:** Pakistan on Monday received a long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo from Qatar after the vessel carrying the shipment was forced to turn back from the Strait of Hormuz on July 31 amid heightened tensions in the Gulf.
The LNG carrier **Al Areesh** berthed at the Pakistan GasPort Limited (PGPL) terminal at around 11:30am, delivering **141,550 cubic metres of LNG** under Pakistan’s government-to-government (GtG) agreement with Qatar, a senior government official told *The News*.
The cargo is priced at **13.37 per cent of Brent**, making it significantly cheaper than LNG available in the spot market. Current spot LNG prices have risen above **$21.12 per MMBtu** and could exceed **$23 per MMBtu** if Pakistan seeks additional cargoes from the international market.
Senior officials said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and officials of the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) remained involved in efforts to ensure the safe passage of the already-loaded LNG cargo through the Strait of Hormuz.
The arrival is particularly important for Pakistan following **QatarEnergy’s declaration of force majeure on March 4, 2026**, after an attack on its Ras Laffan LNG production facilities on March 2. The force majeure affecting Pakistan’s scheduled LNG supplies was subsequently extended until August, disrupting deliveries under the country’s long-term agreement with Qatar.
Officials said Pakistan would be able to resume regular LNG supplies under its long-term agreement with QatarEnergy once shipping conditions through the Strait of Hormuz return to normal.
### LNG Terminals Under Pressure
The latest cargo arrives as Pakistan’s two LNG import terminals — **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).
Officials said that once the LNG currently stored at the terminals is regasified and cleared, one of the facilities would become available to receive another QatarEnergy cargo.
Pakistan had earlier imported a **140,000-cubic-metre spot LNG cargo on July 27** to partially address the supply shortfall caused by the disruption in long-term deliveries from Qatar.
With Monday’s arrival, Pakistan’s LNG imports during the current supply period, which began in March 2026, have reached **14 cargoes**.
However, the reliance on more expensive spot LNG cargoes to bridge supply gaps is expected to increase pressure on the country’s power-sector costs. Officials said electricity generated from imported LNG currently costs around **Rs35.5 per unit**.
The latest Qatar cargo is therefore expected to provide some relief compared with spot-market procurement, while the restoration of regular long-term LNG supplies remains dependent on the normalisation of shipping conditions through the Strait of Hormuz.
Story by Khalid Mustafa
