Excelerate Energy shut down liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification on Tuesday after its floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) developed a technical fault.
The incident resulted in a 40 per cent cut in LNG regasification, to around 600 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) on the day from around 1.0 Bcfd the previous day, according to Petrobangla sources.
Sector insiders apprehended that Petrobangla might have to ration gas supplies to industries and power plants, while the state-run Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) would have to rely more on coal- and oil-fired power plants to cope with the gas crisis.
The authorities spotted the damage on Tuesday afternoon and subsequently began reducing regasification before shutting it down completely, said a Petrobangla official.
The accident occurred at the Maheshkhali FSRU, owned and operated by US-based Excelerate Energy, during a ship-to-ship LNG transfer, according to official sources.
A fire was reported at one stage at the FSRU as a consequence.
Petrobangla, however, has not confirmed the extent of any damage to the terminal or whether the fire was directly responsible for the disruption.
It may take at least a couple of days to resume operations at the FSRU.
Excelerate Energy did not respond to queries by the time of filing this report on Tuesday night.
The FSRU disruption, however, has intensified gas shortages in Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh, where many households have been left with little or no gas for cooking for much of the day.
In some areas, supplies have stopped altogether, while factories in key industrial zones have been forced to reduce production because of low gas pressure.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited said the technical fault at the Maheshkhali FSRU had reduced gas supplies to the national grid by around 450 mmcfd.
The company warned that customers across its distribution network would continue to experience low gas pressure until the fault was rectified.
Consumers supplied by other gas distribution companies have also been affected.
azizjst@yahoo.com
