Pakistan set to receive second Qatari LNG cargo in September

September 21, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan has negotiated with Iran for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for a Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo, with the shipment expected to arrive at the country's import facility on September 22, according to Bloomberg.

The LNG tanker, identified as Shandong Redwood, loaded the cargo at Qatar's Ras Laffan facility in late June and crossed the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, according to ship-tracking data. The vessel is signaling an arrival at Pakistan GasPort Terminal at Port Qasim on Tuesday.

The passage through the strategic waterway was negotiated between government officials, according to people familiar with the discussions who asked not to be identified because the matter is not public.

The shipment would mark the second Qatari LNG delivery to Pakistan this month. Pakistan received another LNG cargo from Qatar on September 10, ending an almost two-month gap in deliveries under its long-term contractual arrangement with the Gulf state. The previous Qatari shipment had arrived in July.

The latest cargo provides some relief as Pakistan continues to face challenges in securing spot LNG supplies amid elevated international prices.

State-owned Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) invited international suppliers to bid for one LNG cargo for September delivery but received no bids by the September 8 deadline, according to information posted on the company's website.

The failed tender followed the cancellation of two earlier tenders for deliveries scheduled for September 4-8 and September 8-12 after the bids were considered too expensive.

For the September 4-8 delivery window, PLL received one bid at $26.96 per million British thermal units (MMBtu). For the September 8-12 window, it received two bids at $26.71/MMBtu and $26.98/MMBtu. Both tenders were subsequently canceled.

With spot LNG prices remaining elevated, contracted Qatari supplies have become increasingly important for Pakistan as it manages its gas requirements and seeks to contain the cost of energy imports.

Pakistan imported 82 LNG cargoes during the fiscal year ended June 30, down around 30% from a year earlier, equivalent to a reduction of roughly 35 cargoes, according to data from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority and AKD Securities released on July 22.

The decline in LNG imports has also contributed to a lower energy import bill. Pakistan's LNG import bill fell 28% to $364 million during the first two months of the current fiscal year, from $508 million in the same period a year earlier, according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data released Monday.

The latest Qatari shipment comes as Pakistan seeks to balance lower LNG demand with the need to maintain adequate gas supplies for the power, industrial and domestic sectors.

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