QatarEnergy has extended its force majeure on liquefied natural gas supplies to Pakistani buyers into November, according to traders familiar with the matter, prolonging a disruption that has forced Pakistan to seek alternative LNG cargoes. The extension comes as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely restricted and Qatar continues to face constraints on LNG exports.
Bloomberg reported on September 28 that Pakistani buyers had received notice that LNG cancellations would continue into November. The report also said QatarEnergy had extended supply disruptions for other Asian and European customers, highlighting the broader impact of the shipping constraints on Qatar’s contracted LNG deliveries.
QatarEnergy has not publicly announced the Pakistan extension in a standalone statement, and the latest information comes from market participants familiar with the notices. The reported extension nevertheless represents a continuation of the force majeure that has disrupted Pakistan’s long-term LNG supplies since the energy crisis began earlier in the year.
Pakistan has already had to rely more heavily on spot LNG purchases to compensate for interrupted contracted volumes. Pakistan LNG Limited sought emergency cargoes during September, but some tenders attracted expensive offers or no bids, illustrating the difficulty of replacing missing Qatari supplies in a constrained global market.
In early September, Pakistan LNG Limited rejected a bid of $26.969 per million British thermal units for a 140,000-cubic-meter cargo after BP Singapore emerged as the only bidder for delivery to Port Qasim. The state-owned company subsequently sought additional cargoes as the disruption continued. Pakistan has also secured Qatari cargoes that managed to transit the Strait of Hormuz, including two shipments received during September.
The supply disruption has affected Pakistan’s domestic gas market as well as its electricity system. Authorities have faced pressure to secure sufficient re-gasified LNG for power generation and other consumers, while gas load management has been introduced amid uncertainty over winter supplies.
The impact on domestic prices can vary depending on the mix of contracted and spot cargoes. Pakistan’s September regulated re-gasified LNG prices fell after two Qatari cargoes arrived under long-term contracts, with the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority reporting a 21.57% decline in the notified price for Sui Southern Gas Company customers and a 20.13% decline for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines customers.
The latest extension could make it more difficult for Pakistan to rely on contracted Qatari volumes in the coming weeks. The country will instead have to balance available domestic gas, Qatari cargoes that can transit the region, alternative LNG purchases and other fuels while attempting to maintain supplies to the power and industrial sectors.
Qatar’s LNG disruption is closely tied to the wider crisis around the Strait of Hormuz. Unlike crude oil, which can sometimes be moved through alternative arrangements after reaching locations outside the immediate shipping chokepoint, LNG shipments depend heavily on specialized carriers and established maritime routes. That has limited QatarEnergy’s ability to restore normal export flows while transit through the strait remains disrupted.
The force majeure affecting QatarEnergy’s customers has also extended into Europe. Italian utility Edison said additional Qatari cargoes scheduled for delivery to its Adriatic LNG terminal had been canceled, extending its supply disruption into early December. The company has been arranging alternative supplies to meet its contractual requirements.
For Pakistan, the reported November extension adds another layer of uncertainty to the country’s energy procurement plans. The government has previously used spot tenders to replace missing contracted LNG, but elevated international prices and limited supplier availability have made that approach more costly and difficult.
The duration of the disruption will ultimately depend on the restoration of reliable LNG shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and QatarEnergy’s ability to resume normal deliveries. Until then, Pakistan remains exposed to additional procurement costs and supply-management pressures as it works to replace LNG volumes affected by the force majeure.
