Bangladesh builds first of four LNG dedicated pipelines

Construction of Bangladesh’s first pipeline dedicated to transport natural gas from the LNG import terminal to the domestic market has been completed. 

In addition to the first pipeline, the country has three more under construction, the managing director of Bangladesh’s Gas Transmission Company Md Atiquzzaman told Platts.

The gas pipeline running from Moheshkali to Anowara has already undergone testing, he said, noting the pipeline has the capacity to transport up to 800,000 mcf per day. A parallel pipeline will be completed in 2018.

Atiquzzaman added that two additional pipeline projects are being developed to deliver the natural gas from Anowara to the rest of the country.

The first of the two pipelines, a 30-kilometre section from Anowara to Fouzdarhat is under construction in order to deliver natural gas to users in the city of Chittagong. The remaining 181-kilometre pipeline will be also build to deliver natural gas from Chittagong to the rest of the country.

The country plans to have two LNG import terminal’s commissioned in 2018. Excelerate Energy will provide its floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) for two projects being developed for Petrobangla and Summit Group at Moheshkhali Island in the Bay of Bengal.

The FSRUs will have a capacity of 3.75 million tons of LNG per year, each.

However, with natural resources consultancy WoodMackenzie predicting the country’s appetite for LNG could reach over 8 mtpa after 2020, Bangladesh is lining up new import projects.

Japan’s biggest city gas supplier, Tokyo Gas has been contracted to perform a feasibility and engineering study for a land-based LNG terminal in Bangladesh in a joint venture with Nippon Koei.

Bangladesh aims to mix long-term supply with volumes procured on the spot LNG market to ensure supply security and price competitiveness.

The state-owned Petrobangla has already signed a 15-year supply deal with Qatar’s RasGas for the delivery of 2.5 million tons of LNG per year.

LNG World News Staff