Hydrates in Pakistan largely reported to be offshore, far from traditional gas resources. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been one of the biggest fossil fuel customers of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

This reliance creates energy supply risk and the subsequent desire to mitigate risk through strategic relationships with countries, oil stockpiling, energy supply diversification, development of domestic energy resources and other means.

At present, Pakistan’s fuel import addiction (including the recent switch from residual furnace oil and high-speed diesel) can be judged from more than $2 billion worth of liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports in seven months from July 2018 to January 2019, up 75% from the corresponding period of previous year.

Several LNG terminals have been set up or are in conceptual phases such as Karachi (Port Qasim, Engro, 2015), Somiani (Pakistan Navy, incomplete) and Jharri…