Pakistan has floated an emergency tender to procure a liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo for delivery on July 15-16 after a Qatari shipment was forced to turn back because of escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Following government approval on Wednesday, state-owned Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) issued an emergency tender to replace the cancelled cargo, which had been scheduled to arrive later this month, according to media reports.
Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted after the United States conducted a second consecutive day of strikes on Iran. The military escalation followed Iranian attacks on vessels operating in the strategic waterway, including an LNG tanker, prompting heightened security concerns and disrupting energy shipments.
A vessel transporting LNG from Qatar to Pakistan reportedly reversed course earlier this week before completing its passage through the strait, resulting in the cancellation of the planned delivery.
To strengthen fuel supplies, Pakistan had earlier purchased an LNG cargo for delivery on July 10-11 for $17.37 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). The purchase marked Islamabad’s second spot-market acquisition within two weeks as it sought to offset disrupted Qatari deliveries caused by the regional conflict.
Pakistan depends on Qatar for the overwhelming majority of its LNG imports under long-term agreements, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply interruptions since hostilities in the Middle East intensified in late February.
To prevent domestic gas shortages, Islamabad has already turned to the more expensive spot market for two LNG shipments in recent weeks after contracted supplies from Qatar were affected.
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