Bangladesh's sole state refinery back in operation after crude oil arrival

Production is set to rise gradually before reaching full capacity

The Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL) has resumed operations following the arrival of a fresh consignment of crude oil from Saudi Arabia.

Bangladesh’s only state-owned oil refining facility in Chattogram, which was virtually shut down due to a shortage of raw materials, returned to production on Friday.

Managing Director Sharif Hasnat confirmed that multiple units of ERL began operations at 8am.

He told bdnews24.com around 9am that the crude oil was transferred to the refinery via lightering from a mother vessel stationed at Kutubdia.

Following the delivery, the facility kicked off its production process.

The managing director expects the refinery to reach full capacity within three to four hours, noting that the unloading of oil from the ship will continue alongside the production cycle.

While an ERL official mentioned that output might not be at maximum levels initially, it will be increased gradually.

Production at the refinery had nearly come to a halt after the outbreak of war in West Asia disrupted crude oil imports into Bangladesh.

Before the conflict began, the last crude shipment had arrived on Feb 18.

A tanker named “MT Ninemia”, carrying 100,000 tonnes of crude oil, reached the Kutubdia channel on Wednesday afternoon.

Eastern Refinery typically processes crude oil imported from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

With an annual refining capacity of nearly 1.5 million tonnes, it produces 13 types of fuel, including diesel, petrol, octane, furnace oil, kerosene, jet fuel, naphtha, bitumen, and LPG.

Diesel remains the facility's primary output.