OQ Trading Halts LNG Deliveries to Bangladesh Amid Middle East Crisis
Oman's OQ Trading International has suspended liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries to Bangladesh for the past seven months due to ongoing disruptions in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz. The last shipment was received in late February 2026, just before the latest conflict escalated. OQ Trading invoked force majeure in early March and has since extended this status, most recently until November 2026.
Bangladesh has two long-term and one short-term sales and purchase agreements (SPAs) with OQ Trading. The first long-term deal, signed in 2018, allows for 1.50 million tonnes per year (MTPA) of LNG until 2029. As of August 2026, OQ Trading had delivered 8.542 million tonnes under this agreement. The second SPA, signed in 2023, was set to provide 1.50 MTPA from 2026 through 2035, but only one cargo has been delivered so far.
Under the short-term SPA, OQ Trading was scheduled to deliver 17 cargoes from August 2025 to December 2026, but only eight have been received as of August 2026. Bangladesh's total natural gas supply stands at about 2.609 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd), with regasified LNG contributing 992 million cubic feet per day. However, demand remains high at around 4.0 bcfd since 2024, leading to supply rationing.
The state-run Petrobangla oversees LNG trading in Bangladesh, with its subsidiary, Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Ltd (RPGCL), managing the agreements. OQ Trading has not responded to requests for official comment on the suspension.