KARACHI: Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) has floated a tender to import three liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes of 140,000 cubic meters each for March 2021.

An advertisement by PLL said the country is seeking cargoes – each of 140,000 cubic metres in three delivery windows – and January 15, 2021 is the deadline for submission of bids.

The first LNG cargo will be delivered on March 09-10, second on March 16-17 and third on March 22-23, 2021 on a delivered ex-ship basis, according to PLL.

The country has a 15-year LNG purchase deal with Qatar to buy 3.75 million tons of LNG per year for 15 years to 2030, but it regularly taps the spot market. It also has a five-year import deal with commodity trader Gunvor and a 15-year agreement with Eni.

LNG contributes 22 percent in the country’s energy mix, while its share in energy imports stands at 24 percent. Since 2015, more than 19 million tons of LNG has been imported.

There are two re-gasification LNG terminals that have pumped approximately 393.6 billion cubic feet/day of gas into the national gas distribution network in 2019, a 14 percent increase compared with 345.6 billion cubic feet in 2018.

Pakistan’s LNG imports are set to multiply with news terminals coming up in near future.

Moreover, the gap in demand and supply of gas is expected to spiral beyond two billion cubic feet owing to rapid urbanisation, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects, and industrial growth.

Last week, Gwadar GasPort Limited (GGPL), a joint venture formed by the Pakistan GasPort Ltd, Al-Qasim Gas and Jamshoro Joint Venture Ltd entered into an agreement with Gwadar International Terminals Ltd to move liquefied natural gas (LNG) onto special purpose trucks for regasification at various industrial sites across the country.