KARACHI: In a landmark development for Pakistan’s energy sector, the country has received its first ever shipment of crude oil from the United States. The vessel MT Pegasus, carrying one million barrels of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude, anchored on Wednesday at Cnergyico Pak Limited’s (CPL) offshore terminal in Hub, Balochistan.

“This marks an important milestone for both Pakistan’s energy landscape and for Cnergyico,” said Usama Qureshi, vice chairperson of Cnergyico Pak Limited. He revealed that two more shipments, one in mid November and another in January 2026, are already in the pipeline. Collectively, these three cargoes are expected to improve Pakistan’s trade balance with the United States by around 200 million dollars.

Cnergyico operates Pakistan’s only Single Point Mooring (SPM) terminal, an offshore crude handling facility capable of receiving large vessels of up to one million barrels, which is double the capacity of any other port in the country.

Qureshi said the SPM allows the refinery to handle large scale imports efficiently, reducing logistics costs while enhancing refinery operations. He noted that these imports diversify Pakistan’s crude sources, strengthen bilateral trade, and contribute to long term energy security.

The refinery placed the first order in August this year following a bilateral understanding on energy imports between Pakistan and the United States, followed by two additional orders in September.

Responding to concerns over the long distance freight costs from the United States, Qureshi said the decision was purely commercial. He said that WTI crude is slightly cheaper than Brent, and the SPM’s capacity to handle larger cargoes makes it cost effective despite the longer voyage.

The docking of MT Pegasus marks the first time a United States crude carrier has entered Pakistan’s territorial waters, signaling what could be the start of a new era in Pakistan and United States energy cooperation.