ISLAMABAD: After the cut in RLNG consumption, Pakistan has officially requested Qatar to reschedule five Liquified Natural gases (LNGs) that were to be imported in the calendar year 2025. Now, Pakistan would receive those in 2026 through the flexible clause, a senior official of the Ministry of Energy told The News.
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Authorities Plan to Delay 13 LNG Cargoes from Qatar in 2025
“However, authorities are also attempting to decide the plan to delay the import of 13 more LNG cargoes which is supposed to be coming to Pakistan in the next year 2025, or else Qatar may stop exporting 13 cargoes to Pakistan,” the official said.
The official added, “The RLNG consumption has now started falling by 150 million cubic feet (MMCF) in a month, meaning that the 18 cargoes in 2025 would become mainly additional due to the country’s lower GDP increase and decreased industrial activity.”
He revealed that during his next visit to Qatar, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif might raise the matter of switching five LNG cargoes.
They also do not want Qatar to deliver 13 RLNG cargoes in 2025. The authorities of Sui Northern, Mari gas company, PSO, Sui Southern, and PLL have initiated thinking on the crisis of 13 cargoes concerning the accords signed by the parties.
Pakistan’s LNG Supply Adjustments with Qatar for 2024-25
About the two GtG agreements with Qatar, Pakistan imports 108 cargoes. Under the terms, it imports nine LNG vessels a month (five cargoes a month under 13, 37% of the Brent and four cargoes under 10, 2% of the Brent). One cargo is directly imported through the term agreement which was signed with the ENI. This is how the country imports unconditional 10 cargoes a month in totality.
But as per the agreements the official said, there is no provision that 13 more cargoes can be shut down by Qatar as a supplier or supplier permits Pakistan to sell 13 cargoes in the free market.
“If Qatar will sell the cargo that needs to travel to Pakistan in the open market below the price agreed with the later shave it will cost PSO every cargo. The concerned authorities, however, expected that Qatar would accept the five LNG cargoes to be delivered in 2025 and would be moved to 2026 under the flexible clause.”
In reply to a question, the official stated that during the winter season of the next year, the authorities have worked out its plan under which 12 LNG cargoes would be available in the peak wintertime each in December 2024 and January 2025.
“Currently, we have booked 10 cargoes from Qatar for December and two from ENI. And for January 2025, Qatar would provide 11 LNG cargoes and ENI 1,” the official said, adding: “We have also rebalanced the cargoes to cater for the winter high consumption patterns since PLL was able to reschedule one cargo from ENI from September 2024 to December 2024.”
Similarly, the authorities have been able to arrange only six cargoes from Qatar for the current November effective in the year 2024 in contra-distinction to nine cargoes. Even so, one cargo from Qatar has been moved to December, while two were moved to January 2025, according to the source.
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