Bangladesh is hoping to import up to 1.5 million tonnes of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from Brunei Darussalam next year. A visiting team of the Energy and Mineral Resource Division discussed the matter with the Brunei Darussalam authorities on Thursday at the country’s capital Bandar Seri Begawan.
The six-member team headed by State Minister of Power Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid proposed a long-term contract in this regard. Yang Mulia Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Natsatejo Bin Sokiaw, deputy minister (Energy) at the Brunei prime minister’s office, sought time to scrutinise the proposal.
Besides long-term LNG import, both parties discussed cooperation mechanisms in the supply of other petroleum products, such as imports of 2.1 lakh tonnes of diesel on deferred payment.
“We want to get 1 to 1.5 million tonnes of LNG annually from Brunei from early 2023. The contract may be for 10-15 years. Brunei has agreed to expand areas of energy cooperation and cooperation,” Nasrul Hamid said in a press release.
On 16 October 2022, during a visit of Brunei Darussalam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah in Dhaka, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the two countries for cooperation in the supply of LNG and other petroleum products.
Earlier, Bangladesh imported around 3.25 lakh tonnes of diesel oil from PB Trading Sendirian Berhad during the 2014-2016 period. But fuel trade did not continue after 2016 when the condition of 100% self-refinery came into play.
