After 25 consecutive days of severe gas shortages, gas supplies increased last Saturday when Summit’s terminal resumed full operations and Excelerate’s terminal resumed partial operations.
However, supplies from Excelerate’s terminal had been declining for three days because there were no new LNG cargoes. On Wednesday afternoon, gas supplies from the US company’s terminal stopped completely, further worsening the gas shortage.
Petrobangla oversees LNG imports with approval from the Energy Division, while its subsidiary Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Ltd. (RPGCL) is responsible for importing the fuel. Two officials involved in LNG supply told Prothom Alo that gas supplies from Excelerate stopped at 3:00 pm yesterday, Wednesday, because there was no LNG left in storage.
Sources at Petrobangla and RPGCL said the Energy Division had placed orders for several LNG cargoes through a direct-purchase process, outside the regular procurement system, to buy LNG at lower prices.