Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Monday arrived in Qatar as special envoy of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to officially convey the country’s felicitations over Qatar’s peaceful transition of power, and discuss the volume and pricing formula for LNG imports from Qatar. One of the main challenges faced by the newly-elected Pakistani government is the severe energy crisis in the country. When the delegation meets Qatari leadership, including the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada, the talks are expected to focus on how Qatar can facilitate Pakistan, especially in the form of better LNG price formula. “We don’t expect a breakthrough and a deal to be signed immediately, but we hope to see a major step forward in our talks over the LNG import issue,” a senior Pakistani official said. The Petroleum Ministry reportedly wants to negotiate the import of 500mmcfd LNG from Qatar. In March 2013, Qatar had offered to provide 250mmcfd to Pakistan at $17.437/mmbtu. However, the main challenge for Pakistan was the absence of the infrastructure necessary to receive and relay LNG in Pakistan, which the Qatari offer did not include.
Shahbaz to discuss LNG import in Qatar
