With the government’s facilitation, an oil tanker carrying 100,000 tonnes of crude oil from Saudi Arabia is set to arrive at Chattogram port on May 4 or 5. Report BSS
“I expected that the oil tanker carrying 100,000 tonnes of crude oil will reach Chattogram port on May 4 or 5,” Md Sharif Hasnat, Managing Director of Eastern Refinery Plc told BSS here today.
He said the oil tanker named-MT Ninemia- is coming to Bangladesh through the Red Sea coast bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. The crude oil will help Bangladesh ensuring its fuel supply amid regional tensions.
The managing director said that the ship departed from Yanbu port in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast at 6:00 am (local time) today (April 21), which was loaded last night.
He said usually ship needs about 14-15 days to reach Chattogram port from Saudi Arabia. With the news of arrival of a crude ship, the haze surrounding the state run oil refinery will be cleared, Hasnat said.
He said another ship-Nordics Pollux- carrying 100,000 tonnes of crude oil remained stuck at the Ras Tanura port in Saudi Arabia’s eastern region due to closure of the Hormuz Strait.
According to Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, Bangladesh currently has a demand of about 7.2 million tonnes of fuel oil per year. Of this, the BPC has to import 92 percent to meet the demand.
The remaining eight percent is available from local sources. Of the supplied fuel, ERL refines 1.5 million tonnes of crude oil annually, supplying roughly 20 percent of the nation's total fuel demand.
The BPC said that in 2024-25 fiscal year, 68,35,341 tonnes of fuel were sold in the country. Of this, the highest consumption was in the transportation sector.
The transportation sector accounted for 63.41 percent of the total fuel sold. In addition, 15.41 percent was used in agriculture, 5.96 percent in industry, 11.67 percent in electricity, 0.96 percent in households and 2.59 percent in other sectors.
In the 2024-25 fiscal year, diesel was sold at 43,50,75 tonnes, which was 63.64 percent of total sales. Furnace oil was 8,78,88 tonnes, which was 12.85 percent. Petrol was 4,62,475 tonnes, which was 6.77 percent, while octane was 4,15,653 tonnes, which was 6.08 percent.
Besides, kerosene was sold 67,477 tonnes, which was 0.99 percent, Jet fuel was 547,804 tonnes, which was 8.01 percent and other sectors consumed 113,769 tonnes, which was 1.66 percent of the total consumption of petroleum products.
