Pakistan, Aug. 7 -- Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) will import its first shipment of Nigerian Bonny Light crude oil in September. The 500,000-barrel cargo will arrive in Karachi by late September. This move reflects a shift as Asian refiners look for cheaper alternatives to Middle Eastern oil. The exact price of the shipment is not yet known. Both PRL and Vitol have not commented on the deal publicly.

This purchase follows Pakistan's first deal to import U.S. crude oil, supplied by Vitol, through Cnergyico. That shipment is scheduled to arrive in October. Until recently, Pakistan mainly imported crude oil from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. However, rising costs in the Middle East have pushed Pakistan to explore other source...