Pakistan expects to spend about $1.29 billion on liquefied natural gas (LNG), gas cooled so it can travel by ship, between November 2026 and February 2027, The Express Tribune reported. That estimate covers 22 cargoes. Ten would be bought on the spot market for about $863 million, nearly twice the price of LNG under the Qatar contract, or about $86.3 million each at a quoted spot price of $26.30 per million British thermal units. The other 12, under long-term contracts, are estimated at $429.83 million. Spot prices in Asia are at a three-year high, and regular supplies from Qatar remain disrupted.
Why the winter bill is higher
Pakistan relied mostly on cheaper long-term cargoes from Qatar before those supplies broke down. Term shipments from Qatar cost less than spot cargoes, and Asian and European buyers are now competing for winter deliveries, which has pushed prices up. The Express Tribune said those 10 spot cargoes would cost about $863 million, nearly twice the long-term Qatar rate.
Pakistan has already been buying on the spot market, and those purchases have raised the cost of generating electricity. Keeping power supply steady has been hard since Qatar, in March, declared force majeure on its exports after Iranian strikes damaged the Ras Laffan LNG hub. Force majeure is a contract clause that lets a seller pause deliveries when events outside its control intervene.
How much Qatari gas fell short
Wood Mackenzie, an energy research firm, said earlier this week that Pakistan is the South Asian market hit hardest by the shortage of Qatari LNG. The firm said Pakistan sourced 99% of its LNG imports in 2025 from Qatar. Closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow shipping lane out of the Gulf, cut Pakistan-bound LNG by up to 0.4 million tonnes a month from March to November 2026.
In that period Pakistan curtailed demand, switched fuels and released domestic gas that had been withheld. Wood Mackenzie said the result was more than 2.5 million tonnes of gas demand that went unmet. Some Qatar cargoes, but not all, have arrived in recent months. Reports say they sailed after Iran assured Pakistan that the ships could safely transit the Strait of Hormuz.
The reports present Pakistan's LNG import bill as the cost of covering that gap. They do not set a new household gas tariff.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 2025: Pakistan sourced 99% of its LNG imports from Qatar, Wood Mackenzie said.
- March 2026: Qatar declared force majeure on LNG exports after Iranian strikes damaged Ras Laffan.
- March to November 2026: The Hormuz closure reduced Pakistan-bound LNG by up to 0.4 million tonnes a month, and unmet gas demand exceeded 2.5 million tonnes.
- 13 October 2026: The Express Tribune set out a plan for 22 cargoes, 10 of them on the spot market, at an expected cost of about $1.29 billion.
- November 2026 to February 2027: Those cargoes are scheduled so winter supply can be maintained.
Aasan alfaaz mein
November 2026 se February 2027 tak 22 LNG cargoes ka andaazan bill $1.29 billion hai. In mein se 10 spot cargoes qareeb $863 million ki hain, jo Qatar ke contract se taqreeban dugni qeemat hai. Baqi 12 lambay contract par qareeb $429.83 million ki hain. Qatar ki supply March ke baad kam ho gayi thi, is liye gas ka istemal pehle hi kaata ja chuka hai. Mehngi gas se bijli banane ka kharcha barh chuka hai, is liye aage supply aur bills par dabao reh sakta hai.
