Pakistan set to overcome energy crisis in six months: Abbasi

Says govt will increase LNG import to meet rising demand

KARACHI: Pakistan is poised to overcome the chronic energy crisis in the next six months as it doubles the import of liquid natural gas (LNG) and removes the deficit in power production, said Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday.

“The second LNG import terminal would become operational in two months,” Abbasi said at the rebranding of a Pakistan State Oil’s (PSO) outlet in Karachi.



The new import terminal, Pakistan LNG Terminal Limited at Port Qasim by Pakistan GasPort consortium, would add 600 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd).

Engro’s Elengy Terminal Pakistan Limited at Port Qasim has already been importing 600mmcfd in the country from Qatargas.

The minister said import of LNG would continue to increase to meet rising domestic demand going forward.

“The domestic demand has shot up to 7bcfd (billion cubic feet per day) against local production at 4bcfd,” he said.

“Local production has remained stagnant at 4bcfd for the last 15 years.”

He said that the country would do away with the deficit gas production by importing 3bcfd by December 2018.



A Turkish company, Global Energy Infrastructure Limited, is constructing another LNG import terminal with a capacity of 750mmcfd at Port Qasim. As per plans, the terminal would be ready to import gas sometime in July-December 2018, it was learnt.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2017.

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