Govt to buy 3 more spot LNG cargoes by mid-June

FE REPORT | Published: May 10, 2026 23:22:39

The government is set to purchase three more liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes from the spot market by mid-June.
State-run Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Ltd (RPGCL) has floated tenders to purchase the three LNG cargoes for delivery during the June 8-9, June 9-10 and June 14-15 windows amid the ongoing Middle East crisis and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Each spot LNG cargo will contain approximately 3.36 million MMBtu, according to a senior RPGCL official.
The cargoes are to be delivered to Moheshkhali Island, with an option to discharge at either of the country's two floating storage regasification units (FSRUs) located there, the official said.
RPGCL, a subsidiary of state-owned Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation, also known as Petrobangla, is responsible for LNG trading in Bangladesh.
If the tenders are successful, Bangladesh's total spot LNG purchases this year will rise to 22 cargoes, of which 20 were bought after the outbreak of the Middle East conflict, the official added.
The country's total spot LNG purchases will stand at three cargoes by mid-June, compared to seven cargoes purchased in both April and May.
Bangladesh has increased spot LNG purchases since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict, as several long-term LNG suppliers from Qatar and Oman suspended cargo deliveries by declaring force majeure, the official said.
Bangladesh imported a total of 49 spot LNG cargoes in 2025, according to RPGCL data.
The country last awarded three spot LNG cargoes for late-May delivery windows of May 20-21, May 23-24 and May 26-27 to BP Singapore Pte Ltd, BGN International and Aramco Trading Singapore Pte Ltd at prices of US$16.83 per MMBtu, US$16.90 per MMBtu and US$16.90 per MMBtu respectively.
Since Bangladesh began importing LNG in 2018, the country has imported around 36.43 million tonnes of LNG through 588 cargoes as of March 2026, according to RPGCL data.
Bangladesh's overall natural gas supply stood at around 2.75 billion cubic feet per day, including 1.071 billion cubic feet per day of regasified LNG, according to official Petrobangla data as of May 9.
azizjst@yahoo.com