Pakistan's economy expanded 4.2% in 2016, foreign investment has continued to grow -- attracted by the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project -- and improvements in the country's security front, following the government's efforts to combat terrorism, have also led to economic gains and additional investment.

Pakistan LNG Limited opened the financial bids for the supply of 240 shipments of LNG January 19. Gunvor has bagged a five-year contract to supply 60 shipments while Eni has been awarded a 15-year contract to supply 180 shipments.

Pakistan LNG Limited will open financial bids for the supply of 240 shipments of LNG on January 19, while contracts to successful bidders will be awarded on Jan 31.

Pakistan's gasoline consumption rose 17.5% year on year to 4.385 million mt in fiscal 2015-16, while high speed diesel consumption rose 2.6% to 6.223 million mt and furnace oil sales fell 250,000 mt to 8 million mt.

Pakistan announced a three year road map to improve its global ranking on doing business earlier this year. Consistent with that, the country completed three reforms in the past year in Registering Property, Getting Credit and Trading Across Borders. The highest number in a single year over the past decade.

Iran has already built 900 km length of the pipeline on its territory while Pakistan still has to start work on the pipeline. Once the pipeline is operational, about 250 million cubic feet gas would be imported from Iran during first year, while in the second year the import of gas would be enhanced to 500 million cubic feet while in the third year 750 million cubic feet gas would be imported.

The amount of LNG volume delivered to South Asia (India, Pakistan) from Qatar during the first half of the year climbed almost 50% year on year, taking advantage of weaker demand from East Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, China) and higher Qatari output.

The pipeline project has been stuck for years now because of sanctions on Iran. Pakistan has not been able to build the pipeline on its soil due to lack of funding. Iran has already built 900 km length of the pipeline on its territory while Pakistan still has to start work on the pipeline that would traverse its territory.

Pakistan and Russia signed a major agreement to build a 1,100-km gas pipeline from Lahore to Karachi, that will take cooperation between the two Cold War-era adversaries “to a new level”.

China will build a pipeline to bring natural gas from Iran to Pakistan to help address Pakistan’s acute energy shortage, under a deal to be signed during the Chinese president’s visit to Islamabad this month, Pakistani officials said.