Chattogram gas supply drops by nearly half as LNG vessel awaits berth

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A severe gas shortage has returned to Chattogram after rough seas prevented a newly arrived LNG vessel from berthing at the terminal in Maheshkhali, disrupting household cooking and CNG transportation in the port city.

The drop in gas pressure left many domestic consumers unable to cook, while long queues formed at CNG filling stations, with lines of vehicles stretching hundreds of metres along major roads.

According to Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Ltd (KGDCL) officials, Chattogram normally requires around 350 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas. However, supply fell to around 180–190 mmcfd yesterday, creating a deficit of nearly 50 percent.

KGDCL officials said the disruption was not caused by a technical problem at the floating LNG terminals in Maheshkhali. Instead, adverse weather conditions prevented an LNG vessel from safely berthing.

Md Shoaib, director (operations) of Petrobangla, said an LNG tanker can safely berth when wind speeds remain below 20 knots, while winds at Maheshkhali were around 38 knots.

He said gas supply from the two Maheshkhali floating LNG terminals to the national grid had dropped to around 400 mmcfd from their usual combined output of 1,000–1,050 mmcfd.

Shoaib said terminal output could rise to nearly 750 mmcfd once weather conditions improve and the vessel safely berths, which would ease the gas shortage in Chattogram.

Md Rafiq Khan, deputy general manager of KGDCL, confirmed that gas receipts had fallen to around 190 mmcfd by yesterday afternoon.

He said the supply was continuing to decline and that the timing of recovery would depend entirely on sea conditions.

Chattogram had faced a similar gas crisis for around two weeks from July 21 after boiler problems at one of the floating terminals disrupted supplies. Although the situation improved partially earlier this month, the latest disruption has again affected residents and transport operators.

Bishwajit Chowdhury, a forecasting officer at the Chattogram Meteorological Office, said the sea remained rough and Chattogram Port had been advised to hoist local cautionary signal No 3.