Chattogram Port is set to receive six vessels carrying liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and gas oil over the next ten days, as Bangladesh steps up efforts to manage fuel imports amid supply pressure.
The incoming vessels include three LNG carriers, two gas oil tankers and one LPG carrier, according to the latest schedule from the port’s Marine Department.
An LPG carrier, BWEK Bornholm, arriving from Oman, has remained anchored at the Sitakunda area since Tuesday. The gas oil carrier Gran Couva from Singapore reached the Kutubdia anchorage on Wednesday.
The LNG carrier HL Puffin from Australia is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday, followed by another LNG vessel, New Brave, from Indonesia on Thursday. The gas oil carrier PVT Solana from Malaysia is expected to arrive on Monday.
According to the schedule, the LNG carrier Celsius Galapagos from the United States is set to arrive on 4 April.
Only Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) can confirm the quantity of fuel carried by each vessel, said Chittagong Port Authority Secretary Syed Refaet Hamim.
Chattogram Port remains the country’s primary gateway for fuel imports, handling a significant share of energy shipments to meet domestic demand.
BPC to receive 1,00,000 tonnes of diesel next week
Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation is set to import around 1,00,000 metric tonnes of diesel by the end of March to ease supply strain triggered by the Iran–Israel conflict.
Three diesel-laden vessels are scheduled to arrive at Chattogram from Malaysia, Singapore and another international source, each carrying around 30,000 metric tonnes, bringing the seaborne total close to 90,000 tonnes, according to BPC sources.
In addition, diesel is being supplied in two phases through a pipeline from India’s Numaligarh Refinery Limited. The first phase was estimated to have been completed by Wednesday, with another consignment of around 7,000 tonnes likely to arrive between Friday and Saturday.
Altogether, BPC aims to bring in around 1,00,000 tonnes of diesel by the end of the month.
One vessel was set to dock on Thursday, with the remaining shipments arriving shortly after under an emergency supply plan, said BPC Deputy General Manager Finance Md Jahangir Kabir.
To stabilise the market further, BPC has moved to procure fuel from the international spot market, taking advantage of a recent decline in global oil prices.
At board meetings held on 20 and 22 March, the corporation approved the purchase of 800,000 tonnes and an additional 100,000 tonnes of fuel respectively, with efforts underway to source supplies from alternative providers.
Despite these measures, supply at the retail level remains below demand.
