One Lakh Tonnes of Crude Oil to Arrive from Fujairah, Bypassing the Strait of Hormuz
Photo: Agamir Somoy
A crude oil tanker carrying 100,000 tonnes of unrefined fuel is on its way to Bangladesh from the United Arab Emirates, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. This is the first oil shipment from the UAE since the outbreak of the Iran–US conflict.
Earlier, a crude oil tanker had arrived via an alternative route from Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port, also avoiding the Strait of Hormuz. Using that shipment, the state-owned Eastern Refinery Limited resumed operations on 8 May.
The crude oil transported by the tanker MT Fossil will also be refined at Eastern Refinery. With the arrival of this unrefined oil confirmed, the government refinery will be able to supply around 20 percent of the country’s fuel demand.
The oil tanker MT Fossil departed from the Fujairah Port on Monday evening. From Fujairah, the vessel will cross the Gulf of Oman, sail through the Arabian Sea, pass south of India and Sri Lanka, and then enter the Bay of Bengal. After covering about 3,200 nautical miles, it is expected to reach the Kutubdia anchorage off Cox’s Bazar around 23 May. By contrast, the route from Jebel Ali Port via the Strait of Hormuz to Chattogram covers around 3,500 nautical miles.
Managing Director of the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, Commodore Mahmudul Malek, said, “From now on, crude oil will be imported from both countries via routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, crude oil supply to the country has been ensured, and Eastern Refinery will no longer need to shut down due to a lack of oil.”
Bangladesh imports around 1.4 to 1.5 million tonnes of crude oil annually through government channels. Of this, about 800,000 tonnes are imported each year from Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco, while the remaining 700,000 tonnes come from the UAE’s state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).
Previously, crude oil from both countries was transported via the Strait of Hormuz—from Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura port and the UAE’s Jebel Ali port. However, due to the conflict and the closure of the Strait, oil shipments have now begun arriving through alternative routes.