First LNG cargo of October docks at Engro terminal, adding 150 mmcfd after 5 days with no regasified LNG

Pakistan's first LNG cargo of October, the vessel Al-Areesh, docked at Engro's LNG terminal at Port Qasim at 11:05 am on Wednesday, 14 October, and regasification started at noon, putting 150 mmcfd of RLNG back into the national gas network, ProPakistani reported.

It ends a stretch in which neither of the country's two LNG terminals regasified any gas from 9 to 13 October. Engro's terminal had been idle since 26 September for want of ships, and the PGPL terminal has been down since 9 October with too little stock. By 13 October the power sector was receiving only about 38 mmcfd.

Why cargoes are scarce

Most of Pakistan's LNG comes from Qatar. QatarEnergy declared force majeure on 4 March 2026 after an Iranian attack on Ras Laffan two days earlier, and has extended it twice, most recently to 6 November. It could run longer if shipping through the Strait of Hormuz does not settle.

Officials are trying for three Qatari cargoes this month but expect two, the same as September. The next PGPL cargo is due in 8 to 10 days.

Winter demand is the real test

The gas companies' own projections show how big the gap gets once heaters come on:

One 150 mmcfd cargo covers only a slice of that.

Local fields are short too

Several domestic sources are below normal this week:

• MOL's CPF and GPF: 123 mmcfd against a normal 160, during an annual turnaround.
• Bettani field: 31 mmcfd suspended since 9 October after an eight-inch pipeline ruptured near Sheri-Khel.
• MEL's GTH plant: 65 mmcfd on 12 October, against its usual 70.
• Mamikhel South: 14.5 mmcfd off since 26 September.
• Qadirpur to Liberty Power: 45 mmcfd of raw gas suspended since 17 September over nonpayment.

Fertilizer plants drew 90 mmcfd on Tuesday.

What it means for your bill and your stove

Expect longer gas load-shedding schedules in Punjab and KP as nights get colder unless more cargoes arrive. Households on RLNG-linked supply should check how much a heavier winter month will cost with our gas bill calculator. Background on why the supply is exposed: 99% of Pakistan's LNG comes through Hormuz. Fuel prices are tracked daily on /data/petrol-price.