The sun rises over an LNG terminal at sea. Pakistan is hungry for LNG imports, but a variety of issues could cause some investors to hesitate.
As it looks to quench its economy's growing thirst for energy, Pakistan has turned to several multinational companies for an ambitious expansion of its liquefied natural gas terminals on the Arabian Sea . On Sept. 20, Petroleum Minister Omar Ayub Khan said Pakistan had chosen ExxonMobil, Trafigura, Royal Dutch Shell, Gunvor Group and Tabeer Energy to build five LNG facilities. Ayub's announcement touches upon a broader plan to boost the country's LNG processing capacity while shifting its economic reliance away from oil. With a shortfall in domestic production expected to persist even as power demand climbs, Pakistan's appetite for natural gas for electricity generation will drive ever-more LNG imports over the next few years.
