Bangladesh to buy second spot LNG cargo for January delivery

Bangladesh is set to purchase its second LNG cargo from the spot market for 2026, with delivery scheduled for the second week of January.

State-run Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Ltd (RPGCL) has invited price quotes from its listed suppliers to buy one liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo for delivery on January 9-10, a senior RPGCL official told The Financial Express on Sunday.

The cargo volume is approximately 3.36 million British thermal units (MMBtu). It will be delivered to Moheshkhali Island, with the option to unload at either of the country’s two floating storage re-gasification units (FSRUs) located on the island, the official added.

RPGCL, a subsidiary of the state-owned Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation (Petrobangla), manages LNG trading in Bangladesh. This is the second spot LNG tender floated by RPGCL for the coming year, the official said.

Bangladesh has already secured one spot LNG cargo for January delivery. Previously, the country purchased two cargoes for December, three for November, four for October, three for September, and five for August delivery windows.

The latest spot LNG tender was awarded to TotalEnergies Gas & Power Ltd for a January 4-5 delivery window at $10.37 per MMBtu, according to the RPGCL official.

In addition to spot purchases, Bangladesh imports LNG from its two long-term suppliers, Qatar and Oman, for regasification at its operational FSRUs, as well as under short-term contracts.

To manage growing demand, the government has been rationing gas supply to industries, power plants, and other high-consumption sectors. The country’s overall natural gas output—including domestic production and regasified LNG—stood at around 2,644 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), including 872 mmcfd of LNG, against a demand exceeding 4,000 mmcfd as of December 13, official data showed.

azizjst@yahoo.com