QatarEnergy has extended its force majeure on long-term LNG supplies to Pakistan by another month, forcing the country to continue relying on more expensive spot cargoes until at least the end of August.

Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik confirmed on Tuesday that the force majeure, first declared on March 4 after an attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG export complex, has now been extended through August. Pakistan now expects contracted LNG supplies from Qatar to resume in September, if restrictions are lifted.

Malik said he would brief Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the latest situation and seek diplomatic engagement with Qatar’s leadership to secure an earlier resumption of contracted deliveries.

Pakistan had earlier received five LNG cargoes from Qatar that were loaded before the disruption at Ras Laffan. However, those shipments were delayed after the US-Iran conflict disrupted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. All five cargoes have now reached Pakistan, leaving no additional preloaded shipments available under the existing arrangement.

As a result, the government has increasingly turned to the international spot market to meet domestic gas demand.

So far this year, Pakistan has received five contracted LNG cargoes from Qatar under its government-to-government agreement, priced at 13.37 percent of Brent crude. The country has also imported three spot cargoes, with a fourth expected to arrive on July 10-11 after being purchased through competitive bidding at $17.37 per MMBtu.

Once the latest shipment arrives, Pakistan’s LNG imports this year will rise to nine cargoes, including five under long-term contracts and four spot purchases, underscoring the country’s growing dependence on higher-priced spot LNG amid continued disruption in contracted supplies.