Ogra notifies 15.3pc increase in RLNG price for October

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on Friday notified an increase of up to 15.3 per cent in the price of Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) for sales at the distribution stage by the two Sui gas companies for October, mainly due to higher crude prices.</p> <p>The increase has come after a 20pc <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2032466">price reduction</a> for September.</p> <p>This is expected to have a significant impact on fuel cost for power generation in December. The RLNG-based power generation cost in September amounted to Rs40 per unit based on the average RLNG import price of $10.06 per million British thermal unit (mmBtu), compared to $10.75 per mmBtu in October.</p> <p>The average delivered price ex-ship of LNG for two cargoes in October amounted to $10.75 per mmBtu, compared to $10.06 per mmBtu in September, $12.12 per mmBtu in August and $18.96 per mmBtu in July.</p> <p>Karachi-based Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) serves consumers in Sindh and Balochistan, and its system losses at the distribution stage stand at 12.55 per cent, compared to about 10.6pc last year.</p> <p>On the other hand, Lahore-based Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) provides gas to consumers in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and its system losses at the distribution stage were also reported at almost 9pc against 7.47pc in October last year.</p> <p>According to the notification, RLNG’s sale price for SNGPL at the transmission stage increased by 13.9pc to $15.94 per mmBtu for October compared to $13.99 per mmBtu in September. The sale price at the distribution stage for SNGPL was, thus, increased by 14pc to $17.33 per mmBtu for October, against $15.196 per mmBtu in September.</p> <p>Meanwhile, RLNG sale price for SSGCL has been increased at the transmission stage by 15.25pc to $14.53 per mmBtu for October, against $12.611 per mmBtu in September. The sale price at the distribution stage for the company thus also increased by 15.27pc to $16.396 per mmBtu for October compared to $14.22 in September.</p> <p>Ironically, the inherent cost additions in the supply chain — all of them in the public sector — continue to make the end-RLNG price higher. This can be seen from the fact that the RLNG distribution prices — $16.396 per mmBtu for SSGCL and $17.33 per mmBtu for SNGPL — are almost $6.58 and $5.65 per mmBtu higher than the average $10.75 per mmBtu delivered price ex-ship (DES), respectively.</p> <p>This is mainly because of the fact that both the LNG importers — Pakistan State Oil and Pakistan LNG Limited — and port authorities also charge profit margins on account of retainage and margins, at the rate of 3.77pc of DES price. This is on top of 8.97pc system losses (SNGPL) and 12.55pc losses (SSGCL).</p> <p>The basket RLNG price was based on two cargoes each in October — both from Qatar — under two separate long-term contracts of 13.37pc and 10.20pc of Brent.</p> <p>PSO has a long-term contract for up to 11 cargoes per month, but part of these supplies were usually diverted to the spot market, even before the Middle East <a href="https://www.dawn.com/live/iran-israel-war">crisis</a>, when Qatar declared <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2033427">force majeure</a> after the US attack on Iran, the closing of the Strait of Hormuz and the suspension of gas operations at the field.</p> This development from dawn.com highlights ongoing changes in the sector.