Pakistan courting LNG suppliers

LONDON, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Pakistani officials spoke with international energy companies in London to discuss plans to import more than 3 million tons of liquefied natural gas.

Naveed Qamar, the Pakistani minister of natural resources, joined a team of experts to meet with international suppliers of LNG in London.

Suppliers had refused to meet in Pakistan due to the looming insurgency in the west of the country, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reports.

Pakistan is said to be in negotiations with Shell Gas, BP and Vitol to discuss 10- to 20-year LNG supplies.

U.S. President Barack Obama pledged to help Pakistan work to meet its energy needs. In recent talks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she would send a team to Pakistan to address their concerns.

Pakistan faces an energy shortfall of 4,500 MW, creating unscheduled power outages across the country.