3 more LNG tankers to reach Ctg port by Wednesday

Three more cargo ships carrying approximately 200,000 tonnes of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) are expected to arrive at Chattogram port within the next five days.

One of the ships has already entered the country's territorial waters, with the remaining two scheduled to arrive by Wednesday. The total LNG capacity of the three ships is around 193,000 tonnes.

On Friday, Chattogram Port Authority Secretary Syed Refayet Hamim confirmed that the “HL Puffin” tanker, carrying 61,997 tonnes of LNG from Australia, arrived at the Kutubdia coast on Thursday. Additionally, two more ships, “New Brave” with 61,000 tonnes of LNG from Indonesia and “Celsius Galapagos” with around 70,000 tonnes of LNG from the United States, are expected to reach the port by Wednesday.

Md Nurul Alam, Senior Deputy General Manager of Uni Global Business Limited, the local shipping agent for the two ships, said that both tankers are currently on schedule to arrive as planned.

Approximately 70 percent of Bangladesh's LNG imports come from Qatar, but recent uncertainties in the Middle East have raised concerns about the supply. Two LNG tankers from Qatar were expected to arrive this month, but only one has reached the country, while the other remains stuck at Ras Laffan Port.

In total, seven LNG tankers have arrived this month, compared to the usual 10 to 11 per month. Petrobangla, the state-owned company responsible for LNG imports, is exploring alternative sources to mitigate the supply uncertainty. Despite the situation in the Middle East, officials do not anticipate a major supply crisis at this time.