ISLAMABAD, 22 SEP (DNA) — Another Qatari LNG cargo is heading towards Pakistan following diplomatic engagement involving Iranian officials, with the shipment having crossed the Strait of Hormuz and expected to reach Port Qasim within days, officials said. The shipment marks the second Qatari LNG cargo secured by Pakistan this month, providing some relief to the country’s power sector amid continued gas supply constraints and prolonged load shedding in several areas.

Pakistan received its first Qatari LNG cargo of the month on September 10, when the carrier Al Marrouna arrived carrying around 81,936 metric tonnes of LNG from Qatar’s Ras Laffan terminal.

The vessel crossed the Strait of Hormuz on September 7 under the government-to-government LNG arrangement between Pakistan and Qatar. The latest cargo has also been secured at a price equivalent to 13.37% of Brent, according to officials.

The additional LNG is expected to provide temporary support to the power sector, which is currently facing six to 12 hours of loadshedding in parts of the country. The development comes as Pakistan continues to closely monitor gas supplies across its transmission network. Data for September 21 showed line-pack at 4,792 MMcf, while the power sector was consuming around 208 MMcf/d of gas. Gas consumption by the fertiliser sector remained steady at 89 MMcf/d, unchanged from the previous day.

At the same time, domestic gas production has faced disruptions at several fields. Raw gas supplies from the Qadirpur field to Liberty Power have remained suspended since 10:55am on September 17 over non-payment. Gas input from MEL’s GTH plant was also reduced by 37 MMcf/d on September 20 because of its annual turnaround. Current gas input from the plant stands at 52 MMcf/d.

The Nashpa plant reported an 83 MMcf/d reduction in gas input following an issue at the facility, while current input stands at 83 MMcf/d. Gas input from MOL’s CPF was reduced by 158 MMcf/d because of an operational problem, with current input reported at 154 MMcf/d. Despite the disruptions, officials said there is currently no forced curtailment of gas from any source on the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) network. — DNA