Qatari LNG cargo docks at Port Qasim after crossing Strait of Hormuz

A Qatari LNG cargo of 81,936 metric tonnes has berthed at Port Qasim on Thursday, according to Profit by Pakistan Today. The Al Marrouna carrier picked up the shipment at Ras Laffan and crossed the Strait of Hormuz on September 7 under a government-to-government arrangement between Pakistan and Qatar. The cargo was priced at 13.37% of Brent.

The arrival is expected to offer temporary relief to power generation, where loadshedding of six to 12 hours is reported in parts of the country. Reports describe it as the initial Qatari LNG shipment to leave the Persian Gulf since tensions over the strait escalated in July. It also came as the Middle East conflict intensified, with Houthi strikes on Saudi cities and US action against Iranian oil tankers.

Shipping traffic through the strait dropped below its 10-day average as Iran and the US resumed exchanging fire in recent days. Separately, Pakistan LNG Limited cancelled a spot tender announced on September 5 that had been due to open on September 8. Renewed disruption in the waterway could strain energy security, procurement costs and electricity generation, according to the report.