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State-run Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has cancelled the tender it had floated to import around 1.25 million tonne of refined petroleum products during January to June 2021.
The BPC was eyeing to import up to 990,000 tonne 0.005 per cent sulfur gasoil (diesel), 120,000 tonne Jet A-1 fuel, 80,000 tonne marine fuel having 0.5 per cent sulfur, 45,000 tonne 95 RON gasoline (octane) and 20,000 tonne high sulfur fuel oil (furnace oil) with 3.5 per cent sulfur content during H1, 2021.
The quantity of imported fuel was up 18.39 per cent from the corresponding period of current year.
It had floated the tender during the first week of this month and cancelled it on the following day.
“We have cancelled it as we have decided to review the fuel requirement during current coronavirus pandemic,” a senior BPC official told the FE.
He said a fresh tender will be floated soon to import petroleum products for the H1, 2021 soon.
For H1, 2020, BPC had floated tender to import up to 1.06 mil mt oil products, , down by 24.28 per cent compared to H1, 2019.
Unipec Sigapore Pte and Vitol Asia Singapore had bagged the tender.
BPC deferred nine oil cargoes, having 30,000 mt capacity each, during April- May, 2020 as Bangladesh remained under a nationwide shutdown with restrictions on all types of transportation, including air, rail, public transport as well as movement of private vehicles from March 26-May30.
BPC imported up to up to 1.40 million mt of 0.05 per cent sulfur gasoil, jet A-1 fuel and 180 CST high sulfur fuel oil and 95 RON gasoline combined during H1, 2019.
Currently, BPC has been importing 1.04 million mt of 50 ppm sulfur gasoil, jet A-1 fuel, 180 CST high sulfur fuel oil, and 95 RON gasoline combined for delivery over July-December, 2020 under tendering system.
This is 22.67 per cent lower than the volumes it sought in its tender for the first half of 2020, which totaled 1.06 million mt of refined oil products.