Govt to buy 2 more LNG cargoes from spot mkt in July

The government has decided to buy two more liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes from the spot market in July to meet its mounting domestic demand amid a falling trend in the global energy prices.
The state-run Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Ltd (RPGCL) has floated tenders to purchase the LNG cargoes for delivery over July 14-15, and July 20-21 windows amid the persistent Middle East crisis and Strait of Hormuz disruptions.
The volume of the spot LNG cargo is approximately 3.36 million MMBtu each, according to a senior RPGCL official.
The bid submission deadline is June 23, at 8:05 pm at the latest, he said.
The cargoes are to be delivered to Moheshkhali Island, with an option to discharge to either of the country's two floating storage re-gasification units, or FSRUs, located on the island, said the RPGCL.
RPGCL is a part of the state-owned Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation, also known as Petrobangla, and is responsible for LNG trading in Bangladesh.
If the tenders become successful, the country's total LNG spot cargo buys from the spot market this year will reach 33 so far and 31 of them after the commencement of the war in the Middle East, he said.
The country's total purchase of LNG cargoes from spot market will jump to seven in July with these tenders becoming successful, the RPGCL said.
Bangladesh bought the highest seven spot LNG cargoes in a month, in three consecutive months-- June, May and April-- of summer to avoid any crisis in domestic demands, he added.
Bangladesh has been buying more spot LNG cargoes since the beginning of the Middle East war as most of its long-term LNG suppliers from Qatar and Oman have stopped LNG cargo deliveries announcing 'force majeure,' he said.
Bangladesh imported a total of 49 LNG cargoes from the spot market in 2025, said the RPGCL official.
Three spot LNG cargoes were awarded for delivery by early July over June 26-27, June 30-July 1, and July 6-7 delivery windows to BP Singapore Pte Ltd and TotalEnergies Gas & Power Ltd at US$18.68 per MMBTu, US$18.64 per MMBTu, and US$18.84 per MMBTu respectively.
Since Bangladesh's LNG imports began in 2018, the country has imported approximately 37.014 million mt of LNG through 597 cargoes as of April 2026, according to RPGCL data.
Bangladesh's overall natural gas supplies were around 2.69 billion cubic feet per day, including 1.047 billion cubic feet per day of re-gasified LNG, according to official Petrobangla data as of June 20.

Azizjst@yahoo.com