Third Qatar shipment reaches Karachi waters
Pakistan has received its third Qatar LNG cargo of October, after the vessel Shandong Redwood arrived on 28 October and berthed at the Engro Elengy LNG terminal. The shipment offers some relief to the national gas supply system at a time of heightened tension along the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route for energy trade.
The cargo came from Qatar at a price equal to 13.37 per cent of Brent, the global oil benchmark often used to set LNG contract rates. It berthed alongside Engro Elengy Terminal Limited’s floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Exquisite, where liquefied gas is turned back into usable pipeline gas. Reports say the cargo was arranged with the assistance of Iranian officials amid the regional tensions.
Earlier October arrivals and winter schedule
The latest landing follows two earlier liquefied natural gas shipments this month. The first cargo, Al-Areesh, arrived on 13 October. The second, Ejnan, reached Pakistan on 21 October and berthed at the Pakistan GasPort Limited terminal for regasification.
The third LNG cargo eases near-term pressure, but the harder test lies ahead as domestic demand rises with winter. Authorities concerned are expected to arrange three to four LNG cargoes in November. Procurement is set to become tougher in December and January, when Pakistan will need nine and 11 cargoes respectively to help meet energy requirements.
How winter demand is expected to climb
During the peak winter months, domestic gas demand in the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) area — covering Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — is projected to rise from around 500 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) to 1,500 mmcfd. In the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) area, covering Sindh and Balochistan, demand is expected to move from about 300 mmcfd to between 500 and 600 mmcfd.
A daily system update showed SNGPL’s system line pack — the volume of gas held in the pipeline network — at 4,695 million cubic feet (mmcf) on 29 October, slightly down from 4,702 mmcf a day earlier. City gas loads edged up to 727 mmcf from 725 mmcf. Regasified LNG (RLNG) offtake by the power sector rose to 206 mmcf from 202 mmcf, while fertiliser-sector gas use increased to 91 mmcf from 90 mmcf.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 13 October: First October LNG cargo, Al-Areesh, arrives in Pakistan.
- 21 October: Second cargo, Ejnan, arrives and berths at the Pakistan GasPort Limited terminal.
- 28 October: Third cargo, Shandong Redwood, arrives from Qatar and berths at Engro Elengy.
- 29 October: SNGPL line pack recorded at 4,695 mmcf, with slight rises in city, power and fertiliser offtake.
- November (planned): Authorities expected to arrange three to four LNG cargoes.
- December–January (projected need): Nine cargoes needed in December and 11 in January to support winter energy demand.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan ko October mein Qatar se teesri LNG cargo mil gayi hai. Ship Shandong Redwood 28 October ko Engro Elengy terminal par lagi. Sardi mein ghar, bijli aur fertilizer ke liye gas ki zaroorat bohot barh jayegi. Is liye November se January tak aur bohot si cargoon ka intizam zaroori hoga.
