Pakistan receives first Qatari LNG cargo via Strait of Hormuz since July

Pakistan received its first Qatari LNG cargo via the Strait of Hormuz since July, when the vessel Al Marrouna docked at Port Qasim in Karachi on Thursday morning. The tanker carried LNG from Qatar's Ras Laffan terminal and passed through the strait on Monday, a Port Qasim spokesman said.

What is the latest news on Qatar's LNG supply to Pakistan?

The Al Marrouna's arrival marks the first Qatari LNG delivery to Pakistan since July, offering relief after regional conflict and tension around the Strait of Hormuz disrupted scheduled cargoes. The shipment is berthed at Engro Elengy Terminal, a Ministry of Energy official confirmed on September 11.

When did the Qatari LNG tanker arrive at Port Qasim?

The vessel passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and docked at Port Qasim in Karachi on Thursday morning, a Port Qasim spokesman said. "It marked the first Qatari LNG shipment for Pakistan through the Strait of Hormuz since July," he said. A Ministry of Energy official confirmed on September 11 that the vessel had arrived and berthed at Engro Elengy Terminal.

What price does Pakistan pay for Qatari LNG?

The cargo arrived under an existing contractual agreement with Qatar, priced at a 13.37% slope of Brent, the Ministry of Energy official said. Pakistan holds two separate agreements with Qatar for LNG supply, and the second contract is priced at a 10.2% slope of Brent. Earlier, on September 9, the official said the vessel's arrival under the existing contractual arrangement would help support LNG supplies, particularly for electricity generation.

Why are Pakistan's spot LNG tenders failing?

Pakistan LNG Ltd (PLL), the state-run LNG procurement company, has also struggled to secure competitively priced spot cargoes. PLL invited international suppliers to bid for one LNG cargo in a delivery window of September 12-16 but received no bids by the deadline, according to information posted on the company's website on September 8.

The failure followed the cancellation of two earlier tenders, for deliveries scheduled between September 4-8 and September 8-12, after the bids received were considered too expensive. For the September 4-8 window, PLL received a single bid at USD 26.96 per million British thermal units. For the September 8-12 window, PLL received two bids, at USD 26.71 and USD 26.98 per million British thermal units, and cancelled both tenders.

How many LNG cargoes has Pakistan received during the disruption?

Pakistan has received 14 LNG cargoes since the disruption began, according to the Energy Ministry official. Seven arrived under contractual agreements with Qatar, while the remaining seven were procured from the spot market.

How much have Pakistan's LNG imports declined?

Pakistan imported 82 LNG cargoes in the fiscal year that ended June 30, down about 30% from roughly 117 cargoes a year earlier. The figures come from data released July 22 by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority and AKD Securities.

The decline in LNG imports also reduced the country's import bill. Pakistan's LNG import bill fell 36% to USD 2.221 billion in fiscal 2026, down from USD 3.476 billion a year earlier, according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data released July 21.