Mechanical failure at LNG terminal paralyses gas supply to entire Ctg

A mechanical malfunction at an LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal in Maheshkhali, Cox's Bazar, disrupted gas supply to the entire Chattogram district for over 12 hours.

The supply disruption hit the port city at around 3am yesterday. The flow began to gradually resume at 3pm in some areas. However, consumers reported low pressure in the supply.

"We hope the glitch will be fixed soon. Work is currently underway, and gas supply has been reinstated in certain areas. However, there is a noticeable reduction in pressure," said Aminur Rahman, General Manager (Operation) at Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited, during a talk with The Business Standard on Friday afternoon.

The disruption was caused by issues with the converters used in the underwater pipeline at Maheshkhali in Cox's Bazar, he said.

One of the converters, undergoing maintenance since November, was recommissioned on Thursday. 

Concurrently, the other converter is taken offline for maintenance. At the same time, the newly recommissioned converter failed because its generator stopped working, leading to a supply halt, said Aminur. 

The gas cut-off affected Chattogram's major industrial and commercial sectors, including fertiliser plants, power plants, and other gas-dependent industries. 

Previously, during gas shortages, gas from Sylhet and Cumilla regions was routed through the Ashuganj-Bakhrabad pipeline to bring to Chattogram.

However, since the start of LNG imports, this pipeline was modified to be one-way, meaning gas can only be supplied from Chattogram.

According to KGDCL, Chattogram has a daily demand of 312-350mmscfd of gas. Of this, 90-100mmcfd is supplied to two fertiliser factories, 40mmcfd to power plants and 19mmcfd to CNG filling stations. The remaining gas is supplied to residential and commercial customers.

Crisis of cooked food across the city

This gas crisis took a toll on the city, leaving residents unable to use stoves and forcing them to resort to purchasing food from restaurants.

With no gas coming into the city, many resorted to eating out, leading to crowded eateries and roadside food stalls.

Some reports indicated price hikes, with vendors charging extra under the pretext of using cylinder gas for cooking.

"I had to spend Tk190 to buy biryani which usually costs Tk120 from a hotel near Oxygen intersection. Even if they take extra money, we have to survive somehow," said Monsur Nabi, a teacher at a private school in Chattogram, 

Sanjay Das, a shopkeeper at the city's Enayet Bazar intersection, said, "There is usually less bread on Fridays with bakeries remaining closed. All of the bread we kept aside to sell with butter in the evening got sold out. There was no gas, so people took all the bread in the morning."

Md Shamsujjaman, owner of Cafe Layla at Kazir Dewri intersection, said, "On Fridays, offices and courts remain closed. So we prepare less breakfast. But due to the lack of gas, people are queuing up. We are cooking lunch with gas cylinders."

Transport fares go up

Public transport also suffered a blow due to the shortage in gas supply, leading to complaints about increased fares. There was also no gas in 68 CNG refuelling stations of the city. 

Drivers said they needed to wait in long queues for only a small amount of gas. Even if their vehicles run out of gas, they still have to pay the full day's rent to the vehicle owners.

"There are no vehicles on the road. We have waited in long queues for gas, and still couldn't get enough per our requirement. Since we have taken out the vehicle, we have to pay the full rent to the owner. That's why we are charging Tk10 instead of the usual Tk5 fare," said a helper of a minibus operating on the New Market-Fateyabad route in the city.

Gas pressure low since November

Since only one converter remained operational, the gas pressure in Chattogram has been low since last November.

Additionally, there was a severe gas crisis in industrial factories and business establishments. 

Owners are continuing production using alternative fuels like diesel and furnace oil, which has increased production costs. 

Officials have stated that if the LNG supply is not ensured through both pipelines, there is no possibility of normalising the gas situation in Chattogram before March or April.

"While the daily LNG supply is usually 800 million cubic feet (mmcfd), it has dropped by about 40% to 500mmcfd in January," said Md Shah Alam, the general manager (LNG) of Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL).

According to Petrobangla, the daily gas demand in the country is 4,000mmcfd. 

However, the current supply has dropped below 2,500mmcfd.

LNG is imported from the spot market (open market). Due to the dollar crisis, LNG imports are now lower than usual. 

Moreover, officials said the ongoing maintenance work at the LNG terminal has further worsened the crisis