Qatar LNG cargo vessel arrives at port in Pakistan
- By Reuters -
- May 13, 2026
ISLAMABAD: The first LNG cargo within two months from Qatar has reached Pakistan and it has been berthed at port, sources said on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Finance sources said that it is the first direct cargo of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from Qatar after the Middle East conflict.
“The LNG cargo will help to meet the energy needs of the country,” ministry’s sources added.
Earlier, Reuters reported that a second Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker transited the Strait of Hormuz days after the first such cargo crossed under an arrangement involving Iran and Pakistan, highlighting how cargoes are crossing the waterway on a case-by-case basis amid ongoing conflict risks.
The vessel, Mihzem, with capacity of 174,000 cubic metres, departed Ras Laffan moved northeast toward Port Qasim in Pakistan, where it will arrive on May 12.
This would be the second successful passage through Hormuz for a Qatari LNG tanker since the start of Iran war.
On Saturday, LNG tanker Al Kharaitiyat started crossing Hormuz via the Iranian-approved northern route and on Sunday it managed to cross the strait, news agency reported.
The LNG is being sold by Qatar to Pakistan – a mediator in the war – under a government-to-government deal, according to two people familiar with the matter on May 9.
They said Iran had approved the shipment to help build confidence with Qatar and Pakistan.
Two more tankers laden with Qatari LNG are expected to head to Pakistan in the coming days, the sources said.
Pakistan has been in discussions with Iran to allow a limited number of LNG tankers to pass through the strait, as Islamabad urgently needs to address its gas shortage, a source briefed on the agreement told Reuters on May 9.
Iran agreed to assist, and the two sides are coordinating the first vessel’s safe passage carrying gas supplied under Pakistan’s agreement with Qatar, its main LNG supplier, the source added.
Qatar is the world’s second-largest exporter of LNG, with shipments mostly going to buyers in Asia.