Bidding time for LNG terminal extended

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Saturday, 04 February 2012

Author / Source : Staff Reporter

DHAKA, FEB 3: Bangladesh has extended the final bid deadline for the four international companies short listed to build the country’s first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal to April 15, Petrobangla chairman Hussain Monsur said on Friday. The initial deadline January 31, was extended in response to requests from the four bidders, who were short listed 45 days ago, he said. The short listed companies are; Bermuda-based Golar LNG Energy, a consortium of US Astra Oil and Excelerate Energy, South Korea’s Samsung C&T Corporation and India’s Hiranandani Electricity.
Bangladesh is planning a floating LNG import terminal with a capacity to handle five  million tonnes of LNG a year ,re-gasification capacity of at least 500,000 Mcf per day , and berthing and mooring facilities for LNG ships with a capacity of 138,000-260,000 cubic meters.
Separately, state-owned Gas Transmission Company Ltd has moved to lay a 91-km  Moheshkhali-Anowara gas transmission pipeline to carry re-gasified LNG from the terminal to shore. Petrobangla had initially set a target to build the terminal by 2012.
Bangladesh in January signed a memorandum of understanding to import four million tonnes a year of LNG from Qatar Petroleum, and its private sector is now allowed to import LNG under the country’s newly formulated import policy. The country is facing an acute natural gas crisis, with gas output hovering around 2.04 Bcf per day against demand of over 2.50 Bcf per day.