Pakistan is exploring crude oil imports from Libya as part of its efforts to diversify energy supplies and strengthen national energy security, Federal Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said on Monday.
According to an official statement, the minister discussed oil and gas cooperation with Libya’s Minister of Oil and Gas, Khalifa Rajab Abdulsadek, on the sidelines of the 17th International Energy Forum Ministerial Meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
During the meeting, Malik informed his Libyan counterpart that Pakistan had encouraged domestic refineries to explore the possibility of importing Libyan crude oil. The initiative aims to reduce dependence on existing supply routes and provide alternative sources during international energy disruptions.
Abdulsadek described Pakistan as an important partner and said he would encourage Libya’s national oil company to allocate larger volumes of crude oil to Pakistani companies.
The two sides also discussed refinery modernisation. Libya is planning to upgrade its refining facilities, and its oil minister expressed interest in benefiting from Pakistan’s experience in refinery upgrades.
Pakistan is seeking to strengthen its energy security amid global supply challenges affecting oil, gas, shipping and insurance. The government is also working on strategic petroleum reserves, improved storage facilities and increased domestic energy production.
Separately, Malik met Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi to discuss cooperation in the liquefied natural gas sector.
The petroleum minister also held talks with Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, who said a seismic vessel operated by Türkiye’s national oil company was expected to arrive in Pakistan next month. The vessel will begin collecting data in the Indus Basin to support oil and gas exploration.
The proposed cooperation with Libya could give Pakistani refiners another option for sourcing crude oil. However, actual imports will depend on commercial arrangements, supply availability and the requirements of local refineries.
