ISLAMABAD: The federal government is trying to obtain LNG from Qatar on deferred payments.
According to sources, the government officials are negotiating this idea with Qatari officials to get gas as early as possible on delayed payment to overcome shortage of gas. Pakistan government is seeking only four to five LNG cargoes in a month from Qatar.
In the past few weeks, the government has failed to secure a single cargo for July from the spot market as whatever quantities are available in the spot or otherwise are herded by the Unites States towards Europe suffering energy shortages amid the Russia-Ukraine war and ready to pick every molecule at any cost.
Meanwhile, the single bid again from Qatar at $40 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) delivery for the month of July was too expensive to be accepted against Qatar’s long-term contract price of $11-14. For the next few months, Dawn.com reported today.
Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik has visited Qatar recently for seeking additional LNG. Dr Musadik said various pricing models were in his mind, but the real challenge was the availability of additional energy quantities. He said the government would encourage private investment for competition and end monopolies.
The sources said the Qatari ambassador in Islamabad also recently called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and had a follow-up session with Dr Malik to convey that Qatar Energy was getting all the wrong vibes about its LNG terminal.
However, it is not only Qatar’s Energas but also Mitsubishi’s Tabeer Energy that have been running around with licences for LNG terminals, marketing and sales without any success on signing of pipeline capacity.
