BPC’s new plan to reduce suffering, octane supply may increase from Sunday

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For one and a half months, the crowd and suffering of people at the filling station is not reducing. Private cars and motorcycles are crowding mainly to get octane. As the supply of octane has decreased this month compared to last month, the lines to get oil at the pump in Dhaka are getting longer every day. But the country has enough reserves of octane.

In this situation, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) is thinking of increasing the supply of octane in the market from next Sunday. The company says that the supply of octane in the market can be increased by 25 percent.

BPC is the only government agency for import and supply of fuel oil in the country. They sell the oil through their three marketing companies—Padma, Meghna and Yamuna dealers. Concerned persons feel that if the supply in the market is increased, the lines of the filling stations may decrease.

Energy department and BPC data says that there is no shortage of octane in the country at present. Octane storage will not be available unless supply is increased. The total octane storage capacity in the country is 45 thousand 819 tons. After the April 15 sale, the octane stock is 30,667 tonnes, which is 26 days of stock considering the current supply. A ship is scheduled to arrive at Chittagong port today Friday with 25 thousand tons of octane. An average of at least 700 tonnes of octane is being added daily from local sources as well.

Officials of BPC and Oil Marketing Company say that 30 percent additional demand is coming from petrol pumps. But as much oil as they took on the same day last year, this time also they are giving it. Some of the pumps are not getting oil daily. It is being monitored by the Energy Department. In case of violation, the concerned officials are punished. Therefore, in order to control the increased demand, the companies are reducing oil supply in some cases. The suffering of people to take oil is increasing.

According to BPC data, in March last year, the average daily supply of octane was 1 thousand 193 tons. Due to the increase in demand during the war, supply increased by 26 tonnes to 1,219 tonnes in March. However, compared to last year, the supply in April has decreased by 49 tons. And compared to the last month, the supply has decreased by 104 tons this month. An average of 1,115 tonnes of octane has been supplied from the depot every day till April 15.

Chairman of BPC. Rezanur Rahman told Prothom Alo that there is a thought to supply 25 percent extra octane to the market from Monday, even if not on Sunday. In case of diesel too, there is a desire to increase supply, especially considering the demand of farmers.

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BPC officials say that the assistance of the local district administration will be taken in preparing the daily oil supply allotment in the name of the filling station. In order to increase the allocation over last year, the district administration will evaluate the demand taking into account the current sale of pumps, crowd of people. Based on this, they will recommend increasing oil supply to any pump.

Syed Sazzadul Karim, convenor of a section of the Petrol Pump Owners Association, told Prothom Alo that the move to increase the supply by 25 percent is positive. But not only at petrol pumps, but also agents, distributors, dealers have to supply oil. Otherwise the petrol pump will not be able to handle the pressure of all customers.

Octane is generally used as fuel oil in motorcycles, private cars, microbuses. 6 percent of the total fuel oil supplied annually is octane. Last fiscal year, 4 lakh 15 thousand tons of octane was sold in the country. 50 percent of this is produced in the country. And the remaining 50 percent is imported. Octane demand in April is 37 thousand tons.

Once available from government refineries, octane is no longer available. However, BPC regularly buys octane from four private refineries in the country. They produce fuel oil by purifying the condensate obtained and imported as a by-product of gas in different gas fields of the country. These four refineries are Super Petrochemical Limited of Chittagong, Pertex Petro Limited, Aqua Refinery Limited of Narsingdi and Petromax Refinery Limited of Bagerhat. Apart from this, BPC also gets octane from the government gas company’s own fractionation plant.

Fuel oil is being sold at seven filling stations in Dhaka through QR codes to reduce congestion. So far only private motorcycles can be registered. Employees cannot register motorcycles in the company’s name. Private vehicles are also not included. Sometimes there are technical problems. But the BPC says it’s experimental. The objections are being resolved. It may be finalized by the end of this month. Then it will be opened all over the country.

Energy expert M Tamim told Prothom Alo that the supply may not have been increased due to uncertainty about imports. Even if it is increased now, the situation may not be completely under control. However, if the supply is increased, it will help reduce the panic among people. The limit of oil supply from petrol pumps to vehicles should also be increased.