After a prolonged period of uncertainty, a vessel carrying 100,000 tons of crude oil is arriving at the Chattogram port, signaling the resumption of operations at the country’s sole state-owned oil refinery.

The vessel, MT Ninemia, is scheduled to dock at the port on Wednesday afternoon. Once the unloading process is complete, Eastern Refinery PLC (ERL) is expected to return to full production by May 8 or 9.

Overcoming Supply Shortfalls
According to refinery sources, no crude oil shipments reached the country during March and April due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The disruption in the arrival schedule led to a rapid depletion of reserves, forcing the refinery to initially slow down and eventually suspend all oil refining operations.

The arrival of this new shipment is being viewed as a major relief for the national energy sector.

Timeline for Production
Officials stated that the unloading process typically takes several days. Following this, the refinery units will be restarted in phases.

Under the current plan, the facility will hit full capacity by late this week, which is expected to stabilize the production and supply of diesel, petrol, and other essential fuels.

The shipment of approximately 100,000 tons of crude oil is valued at $100.84 million USD (approximately 1,223 crore BDT), with the price per barrel averaging $126.28.