Pakistan’s government is shifting its crude oil sourcing to Russia, Venezuela and Nigeria as Middle East supplies dwindle, a move that could ease the $34‑per‑barrel premium it currently pays on petroleum imports. The pivot follows a surge in energy prices triggered by the war between the United States and Israel and Iran, which has pushed fuel import premiums to record highs and caused a gas crunch that has led to blackouts. Pakistan is buying roughly 80% of its oil from abroad. Pakistan State Oil had earlier paid about $12 per barrel over benchmark prices, a figure the state company urged the regulator to incorporate into local fuel prices. The government now seeks to cover the difference rather than pass the record premiums on to consumers. The country is also looking to secure LNG cargoes, and the temporary suspension of sanctions on Russian barrels and the recent sanction‑free Venezuelan crude are expected to play a key role. According to the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics , each additional $10 rise in international oil prices could add between $1.8 billion and $2 billion to the nation’s energy import bill. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority has been asked to launch a national review of the oil supply chain and build a centralized management system to improve monitoring and prevent hoarding.