First crude oil tanker reaches Ctg port since Middle East conflict

After two and a half months, the first crude oil tanker since the US‑Israel war on Iran has reached Chattogram port, easing fuel supply concerns.

The vessel, MT Ninemia, carrying about 100,000 tonnes of crude oil from Saudi Arabia, entered the waters off Chattogram coast around midday.

Chattogram Port Authority Secretary Syed Refayet Hamim told The Daily Star that the ship anchored at the Kutubdia outer anchorage around 12:30pm.

No crude oil cargoes arrived between mid-February and April, forcing the state-owned Eastern Refinery in Chattogram to come to a near halt, according to officials at Eastern Refinery and the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC).

Officials said they hoped the latest shipment would ease strain on the country’s fuel supply chain.

Eastern Refinery sources said unloading could take several days, after which operations will resume in phases.

Full-scale refining is expected to resume from May 9, which may help stabilise supplies of diesel, petrol, and other fuel oil.

Bangladesh meets around 75-80 percent of its fuel demand through imports of refined petroleum products, while the rest comes from refining imported crude oil at Eastern Refinery in Chattogram, according to BPC data.

On average, the refinery processes around 1.5-1.6 million tonnes of crude oil annually.