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The government has moved to purchase a total of seven liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes from the spot market in June, the highest monthly volume so far, to meet the mounting domestic demand for natural gas.
The BNP-led government purchased seven spot LNG cargoes in both April and the ongoing month of May -- the highest monthly imports on record -- to avert any supply crisis during the summer season, a senior official of state-run Petrobangla told The Financial Express on Saturday.
Petrobangla has consistently been supplying around 1,050 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of re-gasified LNG (RLNG) since early May, driven by increased imports from the volatile spot market at elevated prices.
A couple of weeks ago, Bangladesh re-gasified around 1,076 mmcfd of LNG, the highest volume recorded since the country began LNG imports on April 24, 2018, according to official data.
Currently, the country’s two operational floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) have a combined regasification capacity of around 1,100 mmcfd.
State-run Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Ltd (RPGCL) floated a fresh tender last week to purchase one more LNG cargo and re-tendered for three additional cargoes from the spot market for delivery during June 15-16, June 21-22, June 24-25 and June 27-28.
The move comes amid persistent tensions in the Middle East and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Each spot LNG cargo contains approximately 3.36 million MMBtu, an official said.
The cargoes are scheduled to be delivered to Maheshkhali Island, with the option of discharging at either of the country’s two FSRUs.
RPGCL, a subsidiary of Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation (Petrobangla), is responsible for LNG trading in Bangladesh.
The company re-tendered for the three LNG cargoes after suppliers quoted higher-than-expected prices in the initial tender floated earlier this week, an RPGCL official said.
If the latest tenders become successful, Bangladesh’s total spot LNG purchases this year will rise to 26 cargoes, of which 24 were bought after the outbreak of the Middle East conflict, the official added.
Bangladesh has increased spot LNG purchases since the war in the Middle East began, as several long-term LNG suppliers from Qatar and Oman suspended deliveries by declaring force majeure, he said.
According to RPGCL officials, Bangladesh imported a total of 49 LNG cargoes from the spot market in 2025.
Most recently, Bangladesh awarded contracts for three spot LNG cargoes for delivery during June 8-9, June 9-10 and June 14-15 to Vitol Asia Pte Ltd, BP Singapore Pte Ltd and Gunvor Singapore Pte Ltd at prices of US$17.16 per MMBtu, US$17.36 per MMBtu and US$17.24 per MMBtu, respectively.
Since starting LNG imports in 2018, Bangladesh has imported around 36.43 million metric tonnes of LNG through 588 cargoes as of March 2026, according to RPGCL data.
Bangladesh’s total natural gas supply stood at around 2.74 billion cubic feet per day as of May 22, including 1,066 mmcfd of re-gasified LNG, according to official Petrobangla data.
azizjst@yahoo.com