https://arab.news/w334v
- Deliveries would be rescheduled to after 2031, Bloomberg reports
- Pakistan is battling weak demand and rising import costs
Pakistan plans to ask Qatar to delay liquefied natural gas deliveries over the next five years as the South Asian country battles weak demand and rising import costs, Bloomberg News reported on Monday.
Government officials are in Qatar this week to request a delay for delivery of two LNG shipments per month in 2026, Bloomberg reported, adding that the deliveries would be rescheduled to after 2031. It cited people familiar with the matter.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
The prospect of delaying contracted cargoes comes as Pakistan grapples with excess supply. Reuters reported in July that authorities were already exploring the resale of surplus volumes after curtailing domestic gas production.
Qatar has long been Pakistan’s anchor supplier, with shipments running through Port Qasim under contracts extended in 2021.
Deferral talks could ripple through regional LNG markets, as buyers across Asia reassess their exposure to long-dated agreements amid price volatility and uneven demand recovery, Oilprice.com said in a commentary.