Financial Express Bangladesh: Extension of MoU for LNG import from Qatar Sought

The government has sought extension of memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Qatar by two more years to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) until it builds a receiving terminal, said officials.

“We have proposed to Qatar for extending the time of the MoU by two more years to import LNG from the Gulf state,” a senior official of the ministry of power, energy and mineral resources told the FE.

Bangladesh on January 16, 2011 had signed a MoU to import annually 4.0 million tonnes of LNG from the Qatar Petroleum for use in the gas-guzzling industries including fertiliser factories and power plants.

But the country could not import LNG as necessary infrastructure or facility for this purpose is yet to be built.

The MoU expired in March 2015 after a two-year extension from its initial tenure, but Bangladesh expects its tenure to be extended until 2017. By that time, the country would start importing LNG for domestic purposes after building the necessary terminal. MORE