Pakistan Sees LNG Relief as Tanker Carrying Qatari Gas Crosses Strait

A tanker carrying Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) is en route to Pakistan after crossing the Strait of Hormuz, bringing much-needed energy relief to the South Asian country. The Bahamas-flagged carrier Al Marrouna is transporting approximately 81,936 metric tons of LNG from Qatar's Ras Laffan terminal.

The delivery comes at a crucial moment for Pakistan, where power load management has been enforced due to acute fuel shortages amid the US-Iran conflict in the Middle East. The national grid has had to implement daily power outages ranging from six to 12 hours.

Pakistan relies heavily on fuel imports from the Middle East to generate about 17 percent of its electricity, with around 6 percent coming from imported LNG. Typically, the country requires four to five LNG cargoes each month between April and August to keep its power plants operating.