ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on Friday notified around half a per cent increase in the price of Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) for sales at the distribution stage by the two Sui gas companies for the current month, mainly because of an increase in terminal charges despite a reduction in import price.

The slight increase (0.53-0.59pc) in RLNG prices for February has followed two consecutive monthly reductions of about 11pc in December (6pc) and January (5pc). The prices increased by 4.4pc cumulatively in October and November.

Karachi-based Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd (SSGCL) serves consumers in Sindh and Balochistan, and its system losses at the distribution stage stand at 12.55pc when compared to 10.6pc a couple of months earlier. On the other hand, Lahore-based 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.

According to the notification, the RLNG’s sale price for SNGPL at the transmission stage went up by 0.53 per cent to 10.47 per million British thermal unit (mmBtu) in February from $10.41 million mmBtu in January 2026, $10.92 per mmmBtu in December 2025 and $11.24 per unit in September.

Terminal charges hike drives 0.53-0.59pc rise for consumers in February

The sale price at the distribution stage for SNGPL was, thus, increased by 0.53pc to $11.335 per mmBtu for February from $11.27 per mmBtu in January, $11.83 per mmBtu in December, and $12.24 per mmBtu in November.

On the other side, the RLNG sale price for SSGCL has been increased at transmission stage by 0.59pc to $9.03 per mmBtu for February against $8.98 per mmBtu in January, $9.47 per mmBtu in December and $9.86 in September.

The sale price at distribution stage for the company was also increased by 0.59pc to 10.27 per mmBtu for February against $10.21 per mmBtu in January, $10.77 per mmBtu in December and $11.01 per mmBtu in September.

The Ogra said the increase in RLNG price was due “to slight increase in terminal charges”. The Unaccounted-for-Gas (UFG) for both companies at the distribution stage went up two months ago.

Ironically, the RLNG distribution prices for SSGCL, $10.27 per mmBtu and $11.33 per mmBtu for SNGPL, are almost $3.3 and $4.25 per mmBtu higher than the average delivered price ex-ship (DES), respectively. This is mainly because of the fact that both the LNG importers — PSO and Pakistan LNG Ltd (PLL) — and port authorities also charge profit margins on account of retainage and margins at the rate of 3.77pc of the DES price on top of 8.97pc losses of SNGPL and 12.55pc losses of SSGCL.

The basket RLNG price was based on a total of 8 cargoes in February, when compared to January, which actually resulted in higher terminal charges. All these cargoes were imported under two LNG contracts between PSO and Qatar Gas at an average of about $7.45 per mmBtu in February, against $7.52 per mmBtu in January, $7.87 per mmBTU in December, and $8.15 per mmBtu in November. Of them, four cargos were procured at $8.46 per mmBtu and four at $6.45 per mmBtu.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2026