Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL), the state company that buys liquefied natural gas for the country, has floated an international tender for two spot LNG cargoes to be delivered at Port Qasim, Karachi, in mid-December 2026 and early January 2027. The purchase is meant to support gas and electricity needs in the colder months, when household heating rises and local output alone is not enough for homes, power plants and industry.
Under tender PLL/IMP/LNGT80, each shipment is set at 140,000 cubic metres, with a tolerance of plus or minus 5%. The first delivery window is 14–16 December 2026; the second is 9–11 January 2027. Supplies are sought on a Delivered Ex-Ship (DES) basis, meaning the seller delivers the cargo to the vessel at the destination port under the terms in the bidding papers.
Bid deadline and how suppliers must apply
PLL issued the tender on 4 November 2026. Electronic bids must be in by 2:00 pm on Friday, 6 November 2026, and will be opened at 2:30 pm the same day through the E-Pak Acquisition and Disposal System (EPADS) version 2.0, the government’s online procurement platform. Bidding documents with technical and commercial terms are available on EPADS for registered suppliers. Manual bids will not be accepted. Firms not yet on the new EPADS version have been told to register via the vendors’ portal before they can take part.
Estimated cost and winter supply gap
At recent spot levels, each cargo is put at roughly $100 million in some market estimates, or around $105 million if priced near $32 per million British thermal units (MMBtu)—a standard energy unit used in gas trade. On that basis the two shipments together are estimated at about $200 million to a little over $210 million. The tender itself does not fix a purchase price; the final outlay will depend on the offers and contract terms that are accepted.
Spot LNG prices are described as nearing their highest point since 2022. Pakistan still covers a large share of winter gas through long-term imports from Qatar, topped up with spot cargoes when demand peaks. Regional fighting involving the United States, Israel and Iran has disrupted Qatari LNG flows, increasing the need for spot buys to keep power supply steady. Since that conflict began, Pakistan has received 18 LNG cargoes: 11 from QatarEnergy under the long-term contract and seven from the spot market.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 4 November 2026: PLL issues international tender PLL/IMP/LNGT80 for two spot LNG cargoes on a DES basis at Port Qasim.
- 6 November 2026, 2:00 pm: Deadline for electronic bids; opening at 2:30 pm on EPADS v2.0.
- 14–16 December 2026: Planned delivery window for the first 140,000-cubic-metre cargo.
- 9–11 January 2027: Planned delivery window for the second cargo.
- Since the US–Israel conflict with Iran began: Pakistan has taken 18 LNG cargoes in total—11 under QatarEnergy’s long-term deal and seven bought on the spot market.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Sarkari company PLL ne serdi ke mauam mein gas ke liye do LNG jahaz (cargo) khareedne ka tender nikal diya hai. Pehla Port Qasim, Karachi par December 2026 mein aur doosra January 2027 mein aana hai. Har cargo lagbhag 140,000 cubic metre ka hai, aur dono mil kar maujuda rate par lagbhag 200 million dollar ke qareeb pad sakte hain. Iska maqsad gharoun ki heating, bijli aur industry ke liye winter mein gas ki kami door karna hai.
