A crude oil tanker carrying around 1 lakh tonnes of fuel has anchored off Kutubdia on Wednesday noon, bringing a much-needed boost to Bangladesh’s strained energy supply chain after a gap of more than two and a half months.
The vessel, named “MT Ninemia,” is expected to begin unloading shortly, pending completion of port formalities. Officials from Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) said the process could start within a couple of hours, paving the way for restarting operations at the Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL).
BSC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek confirmed the information, noting that the arrival of the shipment is crucial for resuming full-scale refining activities at ERL, the country’s only state-owned refinery operated under the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC).
The refinery had been without crude oil supplies since 18 February due to disruptions linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. As a result, its operations were gradually affected, leading to the shutdown of its main Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) on 12 April.
Bangladesh relies heavily on imported fuel, with crude oil procured through government-to-government agreements, primarily from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. These shipments are typically transported by vessels managed by BSC. However, recent instability in key maritime routes has complicated transportation, exposing vessels to heightened security risks.
Industry sources indicated that one shipment of Saudi crude, carried by the tanker “Nordic Polax,” has remained stranded near the Strait of Hormuz since early April. In another instance, a planned consignment from the UAE’s Jebel Dhanna port was cancelled after the vessel owner declined to proceed amid security concerns.
With the arrival of the MT Ninemia, officials expect ERL to resume refining operations soon after the unloading process begins, easing pressure on the domestic fuel market.
According to BPC data, Bangladesh’s annual fuel demand exceeds 70 lakh tonnes, with nearly 92 per cent met through imports. ERL refines about 15 lakh tonnes of crude oil annually, mainly processing Arabian Light from Saudi Arabia and Murban crude from the UAE.
The latest shipment is expected to help stabilise supply in the short term, although uncertainties in global shipping routes continue to pose risks to future imports.
A crude oil tanker carrying around 1 lakh tonnes of fuel has anchored off Kutubdia on Wednesday noon, bringing a much-needed boost to Bangladesh’s strained energy supply chain after a gap of more than two and a half months.
The vessel, named “MT Ninemia,” is expected to begin unloading shortly, pending completion of port formalities. Officials from Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) said the process could start within a couple of hours, paving the way for restarting operations at the Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL).
BSC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek confirmed the information, noting that the arrival of the shipment is crucial for resuming full-scale refining activities at ERL, the country’s only state-owned refinery operated under the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC).
The refinery had been without crude oil supplies since 18 February due to disruptions linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. As a result, its operations were gradually affected, leading to the shutdown of its main Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) on 12 April.
Bangladesh relies heavily on imported fuel, with crude oil procured through government-to-government agreements, primarily from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. These shipments are typically transported by vessels managed by BSC. However, recent instability in key maritime routes has complicated transportation, exposing vessels to heightened security risks.
Industry sources indicated that one shipment of Saudi crude, carried by the tanker “Nordic Polax,” has remained stranded near the Strait of Hormuz since early April. In another instance, a planned consignment from the UAE’s Jebel Dhanna port was cancelled after the vessel owner declined to proceed amid security concerns.
With the arrival of the MT Ninemia, officials expect ERL to resume refining operations soon after the unloading process begins, easing pressure on the domestic fuel market.
According to BPC data, Bangladesh’s annual fuel demand exceeds 70 lakh tonnes, with nearly 92 per cent met through imports. ERL refines about 15 lakh tonnes of crude oil annually, mainly processing Arabian Light from Saudi Arabia and Murban crude from the UAE.
The latest shipment is expected to help stabilise supply in the short term, although uncertainties in global shipping routes continue to pose risks to future imports.
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