Pakistan Encourages Refiners to Explore Libyan Crude as Middle East Disruptions Bite
Pakistan is actively seeking to diversify its crude oil supply by encouraging refiners to explore imports from Libya, as ongoing Middle East disruptions continue to strain the country’s energy security. Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik raised the possibility with Libya’s Oil and Gas Minister Khalifa Rajab Abdulsadek on the sidelines of an energy event in Saudi Arabia in October 2026. OILPRICE.COM
The push comes as the Iran war has severely disrupted oil and fuel supply from the Middle East, with threats to the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea shipping routes compounding the crisis. Pakistan has been forced to pay record premiums on fuel imports and the highest LNG cargo prices since 2022 as it scrambles for alternatives.
In response, Pakistani refiners have already approached traders about crude from the United States, Nigeria, and Central Asia. Libya now joins that growing list. Domestically, Pakistan is also ramping up exploration efforts — a Turkish seismic vessel is expected to begin data acquisition in the Indus Basin next month, and state-owned OGDC signed an agreement with Canada’s Synergetic Oil Tools Inc. to boost production from heavy crude fields.
No formal Pakistan-Libya supply agreement has been signed yet, but the diplomatic groundwork is clearly being laid. Read our previous article on Pakistan’s Energy related news here.
