Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to prepare a comprehensive winter gas management plan and ensure uninterrupted imports as Pakistan braces for higher seasonal demand amid regional supply risks.
Chairing a high-level meeting on Tuesday, the prime minister ordered proactive measures to manage winter shortages and called for a nationwide awareness campaign to encourage more efficient use of gas.
Officials told the meeting that domestic consumers would receive priority in the allocation of locally produced gas, while regasified liquefied natural gas would primarily be directed towards power generation and industrial consumers.
The government also plans to promote alternative energy sources for household use to reduce pressure on domestic gas reserves.
Authorities are working to maintain uninterrupted production from gas fields in the country’s northern regions, while a proposal is being considered to provide bank financing for electric appliances used for water and space heating.
Pakistan currently produces around 3.2 billion cubic feet of gas per day domestically and has arrangements with Qatar and Italy’s ENI for approximately 1 billion cubic feet per day of imported RLNG.
Additional LNG purchases are being considered to cover higher winter consumption, with Pakistan expected to require nine LNG cargoes in December to meet demand from households, industries and the power sector.
The availability of imported supplies could, however, remain sensitive to developments around the Strait of Hormuz.
Around 250 million to 300 million cubic feet per day of imported RLNG is currently being supplied to power plants, while dedicated domestic gas fields are also providing system gas to the electricity sector.
The meeting was attended by senior federal ministers and officials, including Rana Tanveer Hussain, Ahad Khan Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Haroon Akhtar and Bilal Azhar Kayani.
