New LNG Cargo Arrives in Moheshkhali, but Gas Shortage Persists

A fresh liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo has arrived in Moheshkhali, marking a step toward easing the country's persistent energy strains. However, according to officials, this new delivery will not completely resolve the ongoing gas shortage that continues to impact consumers and industries across the nation.

The recent arrival follows a series of operational disruptions at Excelerate Energy's terminal, which had been completely shut down following a fire accident on July 21. After weeks of maintenance and preparation, the facility was declared ready to resume LNG operations on August 15, paving the way for the latest cargo to offload its supplies.

Operational data from Saturday highlights the stark gap between national demand and actual distribution. The country's total daily demand stands at approximately 3.8 billion cubic feet, while maximum supply historically reaches around 2.7 billion cubic feet, with LNG contributing roughly 1.05 billion cubic feet under normal conditions.

However, LNG supply has suffered deeply over the past month, averaging roughly half of the terminal's full operational capacity. On Saturday at noon, LNG supply through the pipeline languished at just 580 million cubic feet, bringing total national gas supply to roughly 2.3 billion cubic feet.

By Saturday afternoon, LNG distribution saw a marginal increase, rising to 680 million cubic feet and pushing total gas supply up to approximately 2.3 billion cubic feet. Authorities anticipate that as LNG supply increases further to 750 million cubic feet by Saturday night, total national supply may reach 2.37 billion cubic feet.

To manage the crisis, Petroবাংলা, the Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL), and Summit are navigating procurement through designated tenders. For the current month, authorities have secured two LNG cargoes, with the first arriving on Saturday and the second scheduled to reach the terminal between August 26 and August 27.