Shakil Zaman :: Among imported oil, diesel is the most demanded in Bangladesh. But now most of the long queues and cries for oil in cities and villages are for octane and petrol. Most petrol pumps are struggling to meet the demand for oil. Due to the increase in demand, many filling stations are closed due to the shortage of allocated oil.
Petrol and octane produced in Sylhet are playing a major role in the country's fuel crisis amid the war situation in the Middle East. Various plants in Sylhet are major suppliers of these two categories of fuel oil produced in the country.
A BBC Bangla report mentioned that Bangladesh produces a large part of its petrol and octane needs by processing the condensate (liquid hydrocarbons obtained as a by-product during gas production) found with gas in the gas fields of Sylhet.
The annual demand for petrol in Bangladesh is 462,000 tons and the demand for octane is 415,000 tons. The petrol produced in Bangladesh by refining crude oil from its own production and the Eastern Refinery does not require imports.
In the 2024-25 fiscal year, more than 200,000 metric tons of gasoline, or nearly half of the total demand, was produced from condensate produced domestically (the majority of which was produced in Sylhet). In addition, octane also accounted for about a quarter of the total demand.
Considering this, even if oil imports from the world market have completely stopped, there is no danger of Bangladesh running out of fuel in terms of petrol and octane at this time.
Meanwhile, Petrobangla Company has produced about 116,662 metric tons of petrol and 55,339 metric tons of octane by processing domestic condensate in the 2024-25 fiscal year at two plants in the Sylhet Gas Field.
Two plants of the state-owned Sylhet Gas Field and four private refineries produce gasoline and octane from Bangladesh's own condensate.
The fractionation plant and catalytic reforming unit (CRU) of Sylhet Gas Fields Limited (SGFL) located in Habiganj, Sylhet Division, produces the most petrol and octane, kerosene and diesel, and a small amount of LPG from condensate from the country's own gas fields.
The Habiganj plant currently processes 4,500 barrels of condensate per day, producing 600 barrels (74 metric tons) of octane, 3,450 barrels or 420 metric tons of petrol, 150 barrels or 20 metric tons of diesel, 100 barrels or 13 metric tons of kerosene, and 17 barrels or 1.5 metric tons of LPG.
Engineer Jiban Shanti Sarkar, General Manager of SGFL's Liquid Petroleum Marketing Department, said that SGFL's plant is producing more than 4,000 barrels of gasoline and octane daily from domestic condensate.
This oil can meet 33-35 percent of the country's total gasoline demand, 7-8 percent of the octane demand, 7 percent of the kerosene demand, and 0.2 percent of the diesel demand.
In Bangladesh, in addition to the condensate fractionation plant at the Sylhet Gasfields, four private refineries process domestic condensate to produce petrol octane, kerosene, and diesel.
Mr. Sarkar said, there is no need to import petrol as a finished product in Bangladesh. About 40-45 percent of the country's total petrol demand is being met from the domestically produced condensate. And the rest is being met by ERL (Eastern Refinery Ltd.) from crude oil and the private ones are meeting the petrol demand from imported condensate.
Estimating the extent to which the demand for octane is met, Mr. Sarkar said that BPC produced about 62 percent of octane in the 2023-24 fiscal year, and the remaining demand was met domestically. Sylhet Gas Field produces the most oil in Bangladesh from its own condensate.
The two plants in Sylhet have the capacity to process 7,500 barrels of condensate per day. However, due to the decrease in gas production and condensate production, the condensate fractionation plant of the Sylhet gas field now receives 4,500 barrels of condensate per day.
Following the oil crisis caused by the Iran war, as per Petrobangla's instructions, daily octane production at Habiganj CRU is being increased by 100 barrels to 700 barrels, and gasoline is being supplied by lorry seven days a week instead of five days a week.
Petrol-octane produced in Habiganj is supplied to the Sylhet region and Rangpur, Parbatipur and Baghabari areas.
Energy expert and Vice Chancellor of Independent University Bangladesh-IUB Professor M Tamim said, condensate production has also decreased in Bangladesh. Condensate comes from several fields in Rashidpur, Habiganj, Bibiana and Sylhet. Bibiana's production has dropped from 1200-1300 million to 800-900 million cubic feet. So, we can meet the petrol requirement from our own supply. However, octane will definitely have to be imported.
Sylhetview24.com/SZ
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