ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is seeking deferment of 177 liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes from Qatar over the next five years due to a massive decline in gas consumption. Officials confirmed that the deferred shipments will instead be delivered in 2031-32, coinciding with the expiry of one long-term supply deal.
According to a senior Petroleum Division official, the move will help delay a $5.6 billion liability linked with surplus LNG until 2031. Pakistan imports 120 LNG cargoes annually—108 from Qatar and 12 from ENI—under 10- and 15-year take-or-pay agreements. However, lower demand from the power and export sectors has left the country facing a serious RLNG glut.
From October 2025 to 2030, reduced gas consumption by power plants and industries created an excess of 177 LNG shipments, each valued at nearly Rs9 billion. If Qatar agrees, authorities plan to reschedule cargoes and, in 2026, request diversion of at least two term cargoes per month to the international market without affecting domestic supply.
A Pakistani delegation, led by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, along with senior officials including Secretary Momin Agha and PSO MD Syed Taha, will meet Qatari counterparts in Doha today. They aim to finalize a revised Annual Delivery Plan (ADP) before the September 15 deadline.
Officials stressed that Pakistan is pushing for early talks instead of waiting until March 2026, when the price reopening clause in both agreements comes into effect. By then, they fear, the LNG glut could worsen, as deferred 2025 cargoes are also set to arrive.
Currently, Pakistan’s power sector is consuming only 510mmcf of RLNG daily against contracted volumes of 800mmcf. Meanwhile, the export sector slashed its consumption from 350mmcf to just 100mmcf due to soaring prices. This underutilization has dangerously increased pressure in the national gas network, forcing authorities to curtail 270–400mmcf of local gas production to prevent system collapse.
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