1 lakh tonnes of Saudi crude en route for Eastern Refinery

The vessel “MT Ninemia,” carrying 1,00,000 tonnes of crude oil for Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL), has departed Saudi Arabia for Chattogram and is expected to reach Bangladesh by 6 May.

"The vessel loaded the crude oil and set sail for Chattogram around 3am local time on Tuesday," said ERL Deputy General Manager Md Mostafizur Rahman.

"We expect it to reach the outer anchorage of Chattogram port within 12 to 14 days," he said. 

The arrival of the shipment – after nearly two months – is expected to help resume operations at ERL, the country’s lone state-owned oil refinery, which has been partially shut since 12 April due to a shortage of crude oil. 

Another vessel, MT Nordic Pollux, loaded with 1,00,000 tonnes of crude oil, has remained stranded at Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura Port amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. 

An earlier initiative to import crude from Malaysia also failed, making the current Saudi shipment critical for the refinery.

Officials said the new consignment, once processed, will partially ease the nation's energy supply shortfall, though the overall fuel situation remains under pressure.