KARACHI: Pakistan has negotiated with Iran to secure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for another LNG shipment from Qatar, providing some relief as the country faces growing pressure on energy supplies, Bloomberg reported.
The LNG tanker, which loaded its cargo from Qatar’s Ras Laffan facility in late June, crossed the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend and is expected to reach Pakistan’s LNG import facility by Tuesday, according to ship-tracking data cited in the report.
The shipment marks the second Qatari LNG delivery to Pakistan this month. Earlier, Al Marrouna, a tanker carrying LNG from Qatar, arrived at Port Qasim.
Pakistan had been considering issuing a tender if the latest shipment was unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the report.
A successful delivery would allow the government to avoid purchasing an additional cargo from the spot market, where LNG prices have risen to their highest level since 2022.
Pakistan has faced difficulties securing LNG deliveries amid geopolitical disruptions and elevated spot market prices, increasing the importance of its long-term supply arrangements with Qatar.
Renewed hostilities around the Strait of Hormuz had earlier led to the cancellation of a Qatari LNG shipment scheduled for July 2026 and prompted Qatar to declare force majeure, disrupting Pakistan’s LNG imports and forcing the country to seek emergency supplies and consider alternative fuels or more expensive spot cargoes.
The development comes as Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik warned on Sunday that fuel prices could reach Rs1,000 per litre if a shortage developed, while stressing that there was currently no fuel shortage in the country.
Speaking to the media in Lahore, Malik said international oil prices had increased by around 80%, while petrol prices in Pakistan had risen by 50% since March 1.
