Pakistan Winter Gas Crisis: Qatar LNG Supply Halt Extended to December 29 — Kitchens First, Heating at Risk
Islamabad, Nov 1, 2026 — Pakistan is heading into winter with a gas problem it cannot fix at home. QatarEnergy has extended its force majeure on liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies until December 29, 2026, cutting off the country’s single biggest source of imported gas right when household demand peaks. Federal Minister for Petroleum and…
Islamabad, Nov 1, 2026 — Pakistan is heading into winter with a gas problem it cannot fix at home. QatarEnergy has extended its force majeure on liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies until December 29, 2026, cutting off the country’s single biggest source of imported gas right when household demand peaks. Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Ali Pervaiz Malik has confirmed the extension, and the government is now scrambling to arrange replacement cargoes on the expensive spot market. For ordinary households, the official message is reassuring on one point and blunt on another: gas should still be available during cooking hours, but space heating and water heating may not be.
Key facts: Qatar LNG force majeure extended to December 29
| Detail | Confirmed figure |
|---|---|
| Supplier | QatarEnergy (Qatar’s state energy company) |
| New force majeure end date | December 29, 2026 |
| Confirmed by | Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, speaking to The News |
| Winter cargo requirement | 20 cargoes for December and January (9 in December, 11 in January) |
| Government plan | Arrange 10 cargoes for the two peak months; the rest is a shortfall to manage |
| Spot cargo cost | Up to $80–90 million per cargo, per officials cited by Pakistan Today |
| Household demand, Punjab and KP | Projected to rise from 500 to 1,500 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) in December–January |
| Household demand, Sindh and Balochistan | Projected to double from 300 to 600 mmcfd |
| Last winter’s imports | 36 LNG cargoes, of which 35 came from Qatar |
| Sectors facing possible curbs | Power plants, industry, fertiliser, cement and CNG stations |
What force majeure means — and why it started
A force majeure declaration is a supplier’s formal notice that extraordinary events beyond its control prevent it from honouring deliveries. QatarEnergy declared force majeure on its LNG exports earlier this year after attacks on its facilities during the United States–Iran confrontation in the Middle East, and the suspension has been extended in stages ever since. The latest extension, reported on Saturday, October 31, takes the halt through December 29 — deep into Pakistan’s peak winter season.
Pakistan is unusually exposed to this particular disruption. Imported LNG accounted for roughly one-fifth of the country’s total gas consumption between July 2025 and March 2026, according to the Economic Survey figures cited in the reporting, and Qatar supplied almost all of it: 35 of the 36 cargoes Pakistan imported last winter came from Qatar. Monthly imports last winter ran from six cargoes in November 2025 to 10 in December, 12 in January 2026 and eight in February. When Qatari supply stops, there is no like-for-like replacement waiting in the wings.
The 10-versus-20 cargo gap
The arithmetic of the winter is stark. The government estimates Pakistan needs 20 LNG cargoes across December and January — nine in December and 11 in January — but is planning to arrange 10. That leaves a gap that has to be managed by prioritising some consumers over others, by buying spot cargoes at whatever the market charges, and by leaning on alternative fuels.
Spot cargoes are the expensive option. Officials cited by Pakistan Today put the cost at up to $80–90 million per cargo, and wider market reporting puts Asian spot LNG prices at four-year highs, with Pakistan’s planned spot purchases costing roughly double the price of gas under its long-term Qatari contracts. One market assessment puts the total winter bill above $1 billion. None of that cost has been translated into a consumer tariff announcement yet, and this article does not guess at one.
Who gets gas first
The priority order is clear and has been stated consistently. Domestic consumers come first, then the power and fertiliser sectors, followed by cement and CNG. A senior official of the Petroleum Ministry told Arab News that “there could be complaints during peak winter, but gas will be available during cooking hours. It may not be available for space heating and water heating though.” That single sentence is the most useful thing a household can take from this story: plan cooking around the hours gas is normally supplied, and do not count on gas geysers and room heaters through December and January.
The demand surge behind the warning is large. Senior officials of the Sui gas companies say household demand in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could jump from 500 mmcfd to 1,500 mmcfd during December and January, while domestic demand in Sindh and Balochistan is projected to double from 300 mmcfd to 600 mmcfd. When household demand triples in the north, something else in the system has to give — which is why power plants, factories, fertiliser units, cement works and CNG stations are the ones facing possible curtailment.
A separate negotiation running alongside the crisis
Running in parallel with the force majeure is a commercial renegotiation of Pakistan’s two long-term Qatari LNG deals. Qatar has made a final offer, reported by The Thursday Times on October 29 from PSO sources, to reprice both contracts at 11.96% of the Brent crude price and to cut the annual cargo commitment from 108 cargoes to 66. Pakistan State Oil is reported to be seeking government approval by November 3. This is a reported offer, not a signed deal, and it is separate from the force majeure extension — but the two tracks will shape each other, because any repricing changes what replacement gas costs.
There is also a small piece of good news on the domestic side. The chairman of the Sui Southern Gas Company board has pointed to a new gas field in southern Pakistan, with production capacity of 100 mmcfd, that would reduce dependence on imported LNG once connected. It does not solve this winter — 100 mmcfd is a fraction of the 1,000 mmcfd demand jump expected in Punjab and KP alone — but it is a step towards a less exposed system.
What households should actually do
First, treat cooking hours as the protected window. If your area already has a gas-load schedule from your Sui company, follow it rather than social-media timetables, which are often wrong. Second, have a backup for water heating now, not in December — an electric geyser, a solar option, or simply heating water during the hours gas is flowing. Third, do not panic-buy LPG cylinders: LPG has its own monthly price cycle, and the November notified rate is already published (see our LPG price update for November 2026). Fourth, check the official position before believing claims about a “total gas shutdown” — the confirmed position is curtailment for industry and heating, with cooking supply protected, not a blanket cut for homes.
The winter gas story will move again: the next markers are the government’s spot-cargo purchases, any decision on the Qatari repricing offer around November 3, and the Sui companies’ December schedules. This page will be updated when those land. For now, the confirmed picture is a 10-cargo plan against a 20-cargo need, a December 29 end date on the Qatari halt, and a clear official priority: kitchens first.
Related reading: the LPG pricing formula overhaul that changes how imported fuel is priced from November 1, and the current petrol and diesel rates in Pakistan, which run on a separate daily mechanism.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a gas shutdown in Pakistan this winter?
No blanket shutdown for households has been announced. The confirmed position is that QatarEnergy’s LNG force majeure runs to December 29, 2026, and that industry, power, fertiliser, cement and CNG supplies may be curtailed, while household cooking supply is the top priority.
Will gas be available during cooking hours?
Yes, according to a senior Petroleum Ministry official quoted by Arab News: gas will be available during cooking hours, but it may not be available for space heating and water heating during peak winter.
Why is Qatar not supplying LNG to Pakistan?
QatarEnergy declared force majeure on LNG exports earlier this year after attacks on its facilities during the US–Iran confrontation, and has now extended that suspension until December 29, 2026.
How many LNG cargoes does Pakistan need this winter?
The government estimates a requirement of 20 cargoes for December and January — nine in December and 11 in January — against a plan to arrange 10, leaving a gap to be managed through prioritisation and spot purchases.
How much does a spot LNG cargo cost?
Officials cited by Pakistan Today put spot cargoes at up to $80–90 million each, roughly double the price of gas under Pakistan’s long-term Qatari contracts.
Which sectors will face gas cuts first?
Power plants, industrial units, fertiliser plants, cement factories and CNG stations are the sectors facing possible curtailment. The stated priority order is domestic consumers first, then power and fertiliser, followed by cement and CNG.
By Bilal Ahmed | November 1, 2026
