By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Azerbaijan’s state energy company SOCAR has told Islamabad it is prepared to supply liquefied natural gas immediately upon request, the company said Tuesday, as Pakistan races to secure spot cargoes to ease a widening domestic energy shortfall.
A framework agreement signed in 2025 between SOCAR Trading and Pakistan LNG Ltd. allows the Pakistani buyer to purchase cargoes directly under an accelerated procedure, SOCAR said in written responses to questions from Reuters. “SOCAR is ready to provide LNG to Pakistan as soon as PLL submits a corresponding request,” the company said. SOCAR gave no indication whether such a request had already been received, when a first delivery might occur or whose LNG would be supplied under the agreement.
Pakistan relies heavily on natural gas for power generation and industry, leaving it exposed to steadily declining domestic production and sharp swings in global LNG prices. Those pressures have intensified amid supply disruptions tied to the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has roiled shipping routes and tightened markets.
The power division, already facing public criticism over load-shedding even before the start of summer, has directed the petroleum division to arrange roughly 400 million cubic feet a day of LNG specifically for electricity output. Officials are betting on the reopening of international supply lanes to help close the gap.
Separately, Pakistan and Qatar were in advanced discussions a day earlier for the supply of at least four LNG cargoes that could transit the Strait of Hormuz within days, according to people familiar with the talks. Qatar declared force majeure on all its global LNG contracts, including those with Pakistan, early last month.
The dual tracks underscore the urgency in Islamabad, where officials are scrambling to line up alternative volumes while existing long-term deals remain disrupted. SOCAR’s offer adds another potential source for spot or near-term cargoes, though the absence of detail on timing or volumes leaves open questions about how quickly relief could reach Pakistani power plants.
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