LPG crisis deepens as bottling plant shut for 11 days

Petrobangla's Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL) that produced LPG is idle as there was no supply of NGL (Natural Gas Liquid) because the MSTE (Molecular Sieve Turbo Expander Plant) is being overhauled since September 26.

However, the MSTE plant went into trial operation on Thursday and production may resume soon, sources said yesterday.

NGL is produced as a by-product in Kailashtila gas well and taken to the RPGCL for producing LPG.

The sudden suspension of production deepened crisis of LPG, a number of petroleum dealers said. Owner of Rahim & Rahim, a dealer in the city's Shibganj area said yesterday that the authorities stopped gas cylinder supply without giving any prior notice.

"We are empty for 10 days", he said, adding, none can say when the crisis would be over.

A cylinder was selling at Tk 720 at Golapganj upazila headquarters.

LPG production in RPGCL fell drastically in last one year as supply of NGL from Kailashtila went down on technical grounds. An official said, since the beginning of January, RPGCL reduced LPG supply to the bottling plant to three days a week against five days earlier. It dipped further last week, he LPG supply to dealers of four state-run companies--Padma, Meghna, Jamuna and Standard Asiatic Oil Company-- was reduced to one third about a year ago, the official said. He also admitted commotion among dealers due to the recent supply cut while demand is rising.

The RPGCL, as per a decision of energy ministry, supplies about one third of the LPG to some private companies, who market those in northern districts and other regions except Sylhet, the sources said.

The dealers also alleged that LPG was being supplied in larger quantities to some districts, violating official decisions.