In a letter sent on October 27 to the BPC Chairman, the company's Managing Director, Mohammad Mostafa Haider, requested authorization to import 400,000 tonnes of light crude and 800,000 tonnes of heavy crude for the year 2027. However, with the refinery construction lacking official government approval or policy clearance, the move has ignited significant security and policy concerns within the national energy sector.
Energy experts warn that establishing private oil refineries without statutory clearance and state oversight poses severe risks to national energy security and regulatory frameworks. Furthermore, while BPC is working to expand state-owned Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL), no effective state intervention has been taken to halt the construction of the unauthorized private plant.
Discrepancies in Raw Material Proposals and Supply Commitments
In the October 27 proposal, Super Petrochemical stated that its crude import request responds to BPC's August 10 inquiry regarding refined fuel supply projections for 2027. The company pledged to supply BPC with 256,500 tonnes of octane, 119,000 tonnes of petrol, 466,500 tonnes of diesel, and 361,000 tonnes of High Sulfur Furnace Oil (HSFO) in 2027. To sustain this output, the firm claimed it needs 400,000 tonnes of light crude (condensate) and 800,000 tonnes of heavy crude.
However, documents reveal conflicting proposals previously submitted by the company. On July 14, in a letter to the Minister of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, Super Petrochemical outlined a different operational plan for its 35,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) plant under construction. At that time, it sought to process light crude, expressing interest in importing 2 million tonnes of Saudi Arabian Light Crude or UAE Marban Crude annually, without disclosing that the project lacked government approval.
Experts and former energy officials have pointed out significant technical errors in conflating condensate with light crude oil.
"Condensate is a byproduct extracted from gas fields, whereas crude oil is extracted from oil fields. Their physical properties, origins, and refining processes are fundamentally distinct. Condensate cannot simply be classified as light crude oil," stated a former General Manager of Eastern Refinery Limited on condition of anonymity.
Former Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) member Makbul-e-Elahi Chowdhury echoed these concerns, noting that while both are light hydrocarbons capable of producing refined fuels, condensate and imported light crude are not interchangeable raw materials under standard refining protocols.
BPC Review and Industry Reactions
BPC Chairman Dr. Rafiqul Islam confirmed receipt of Super Petrochemical's crude import application, stating that a technical team within BPC is reviewing the request. He refrained from commenting on how the unauthorized construction of a sensitive energy facility proceeded without state oversight.
Dr. M. Shamsul Alam, Energy Advisor to the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), criticized the development as a breach of law.
"Energy is a highly sensitive sector worldwide. Constructing a private refinery in Bangladesh without formal government clearance poses severe risks to national energy security and violates statutory laws. The entity must be held accountable and face legal action immediately," Dr. Alam said.
Super Petrochemical PLC currently operates a fractionation plant, supplying petroleum products refined from naphtha sourced from Eastern Refinery and domestic and imported condensate. According to BPC data, the company supplied a total of 256,037 tonnes of petroleum products—including octane, petrol, diesel, MTT, light MS, and SBPS—to BPC during the 2024–25 fiscal year.
