Pakistan Races to Secure Gas Supplies After Qatar LNG Disruption

Pakistan is working to secure energy supplies after QatarEnergy stopped LNG production following missile attacks linked to Iran, showing how much the country depends on imported gas.

Officials said they are weighing emergency measures to offset a potential shortfall, including restoring curtailed domestic gas output and seeking alternative LNG cargoes, as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz faces renewed risks.

The supply shock underscores Pakistan’s dependence on Qatari LNG, which forms the backbone of its imported gas portfolio. Under long-term agreements, Islamabad typically receives nine LNG cargoes per month from Qatar, in addition to one monthly cargo from Italy’s Eni. Any sustained disruption could strain pipeline pressures and fuel availability in the coming months, officials said.

To cushion the impact, authorities plan to immediately restore about 350 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of domestic gas production that had previously been curtailed to manage line-pack pressure. Additional steps may include ramping up local oil and gas output and approaching Azerbaijan’s SOCAR Trading Company for between 200 and 250 MMcf/d of LNG should demand rise unexpectedly.

Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) has a one-year framework agreement with SOCAR, signed in July 2023 and extendable by another year, allowing Islamabad to procure cargoes with 45 days’ notice. However, officials cautioned that SOCAR’s existing commitments to buyers in China, Japan and India could constrain availability. LNG volumes previously diverted from Eni to the spot market also cannot be reinstated.

Earlier this year, Pakistan had persuaded Qatar to defer two cargoes per month scheduled for 2026 delivery after domestic gas demand was projected to decline by around 300 MMcf/d. The Power Division has since described nine LNG cargoes per year as “additional” amid reduced consumption for gas-fired power generation, with total domestic gas usage hovering near 400 MMcf/d.

Seasonal factors may offer temporary relief. Lower heating and cooling demand in March is expected to keep consumption manageable, and electricity demand is unlikely to surge. In the event of a sudden spike, officials indicated that industrial and commercial users could face extended load-shedding, while residential consumers would remain shielded.

The episode comes as tensions linked to the US-Israel conflict with Iran reverberate across energy markets, tightening tanker movements near Hormuz and unsettling global prices. Analysts say the crisis highlights Pakistan’s structural vulnerability to external shocks.

“Every Gulf crisis exposes our over-reliance on imported LNG and crude,” said one energy analyst. “When chokepoints like Hormuz are threatened, Pakistan has almost no buffer.”