ISLAMABAD: The government has successfully diverted a fourth LNG cargo, scheduled for delivery in May 2025 from Italian energy firm ENI, to the international market, according to a senior official at the Energy Ministry. Efforts are also underway to reroute a fifth cargo due in June.
This follows earlier diversions of ENI-supplied cargoes originally planned for February, March, and April. The move stems from a request by Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), which in a January 21 letter to the federal government sought to divert 11 LNG cargoes throughout 2025. The request was made after the Power Division declined to increase RLNG usage for electricity generation, even during peak summer months.
Under a 15-year agreement signed in 2017, ENI supplies one LNG cargo per month to Pakistan at a price pegged at 12.14% of Brent. The decision to divert cargoes is part of a broader strategy by the Petroleum Division to manage surplus RLNG volumes amid reduced power sector demand. Additionally, Qatar has agreed to defer five LNG cargoes scheduled for 2025 to 2026 under the flexible terms of its long-term contract with Pakistan.
Story by Khalid Mustafa
