CHATTOGRAM, Apr 16: Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL), the only state-owned oil refinery in Bangladesh, has been facing a shortage of crude oil since the beginning of April as imported stocks are running low.
The refinery is operating at a reduced capacity due to disruptions in crude oil imports linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict now. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has affected the scheduled import of a total of 300,000 tonnes of oil during March and April.
Of this, a cargo of 100,000 tonnes of Arabian Light Crude, scheduled for March, was loaded, but could not cross the Strait of Hormuz due to security concerns and is now stranded at Ras Tanura Port.
The second consignment -- 100,000 tonnes of Murban Crude -- has been declared force majeure.
Another 100,000 tonnes of Arabian Light Crude, originally scheduled for April, is expected to reach Chattogram Port by May 2-3 using an alternative route after loading on April 20.
At present, only bitumen production is continuing, while Unit 3 is producing limited quantities of petrol and octane.
In addition, Saudi Aramco has been requested to supply an additional 100,000 tonnes of Arabian Light Crude, which is still awaiting approval.
The cabinet approval has been obtained to import another 100,000 tonnes of crude oil through direct purchase to meet the urgent demand.
A total of 1.535 million tonnes of crude oil were processed in the 2024-25 fiscal year, whereas its capacity is 1.5 million tonnes per year. Earlier, the ERL processed 1.513 million tonnes of oil in the fiscal year 2020-21.
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