Bangladesh is importing crude oil. This oil will be brought directly to Chattogram's Eastern Refinery from Yanbu Commercial Port in Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea coast. The oil tanker is scheduled to be loaded on April 20.
Currently, another one lakh metric tonnes of crude oil on a ship named 'MT Nordic Pollux' is stranded due to complications in the Strait of Hormuz. The ship is now at Ras Tanura Port in Saudi Arabia. However, it is unable to come to Bangladesh due to lack of special clearance from Iran.
Although Iran has recently allowed six Bangladeshi ships to sail, this particular oil tanker is not on that list. As a result, its journey is still uncertain.
Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) said that the newly brought one lakh tonnes of oil will be loaded from Yanbu Port on April 20. On the other hand, a total of two hundred thousand metric tons of oil, including the stranded ship, is expected to reach Chittagong port by the first week of May.
These oils will be brought and refined at the Eastern Refinery under the supervision of Bangladesh Shipping Corporation. Sources said that it will be possible to produce two hundred thousand metric tons of crude oil by refining. However, this includes 52 thousand metric tons of diesel, 32 thousand metric tons of petrol, 16 thousand metric tons of octane, 48 thousand metric tons of furnace oil, and 42 thousand metric tons of kerosene.
BSC Managing Director Commodore Mahmudul Malek said that diplomatic efforts have been intensified to resolve the complications and efforts are being made to obtain permission from Iran. Once permission is received, the stranded ship will reach Chattogram directly.
He said that this time the Red Sea route is being used as an alternative route to avoid the risk of the Strait of Hormuz, which is relatively safe and free from political complications.
Since early March this year, at least 33 vessels carrying crude oil, LPG, and LNG have arrived at Chattogram Port. Officials believe this new shipment will significantly help ease the ongoing fuel shortage.
