ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is facing the prospect of a severe winter gas shortage after QatarEnergy extended its force majeure on liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies until December 29, further tightening the country’s fuel supply outlook during the peak demand season.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The extension is expected to affect LNG availability in December and January, when household gas consumption rises significantly, potentially forcing the government to curtail supplies to power plants, industries, fertiliser manufacturers, cement factories and compressed natural gas (CNG) stations.
Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources confirmed to The News that Qatar had extended its force majeure on LNG supplies until the end of December.
In response, the government is planning to arrange 10 LNG cargoes for the two peak winter months against an estimated requirement of 20 cargoes. The projected requirement includes nine cargoes for December and 11 for January, indicating a potential shortfall of 10 shipments.
The supply gap is likely to intensify competition among domestic consumers, industrial users and the power sector, with household consumers expected to receive priority. This could result in restrictions on gas availability for industrial and commercial sectors.
Senior officials of the Sui gas companies said household gas demand in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could surge from around 500 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) to 1,500 mmcfd during December and January.
Similarly, domestic gas demand in Sindh and Balochistan is projected to double from approximately 300 mmcfd to 600 mmcfd during the same period.
The combination of reduced LNG supplies and sharply rising seasonal consumption is expected to place additional pressure on Pakistan’s already constrained gas distribution system, raising concerns over energy availability for households, industries and electricity generation during the winter months.
Story by Khalid Mustafa
