Summit Group’s LNG Terminal, located off the coast of Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar, is unlikely to resume operations before September 2024, according to an official statement released by the company.

The terminal has been out of operation since mid-July due to a series of technical difficulties encountered during an attempt to reconnect its Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) to the Disconnectable Turret Mooring (DTM) system.

The company anticipates that assuming favorable weather and sea conditions, the repositioning and reconnection of the DTM plug will be completed by the end of August. This will enable ship-to-ship transfer operations to resume in September.

To facilitate the repositioning of the DTM, Summit has contracted the Oriental Dragon, a Diving Support Vessel (DSV), which is expected to arrive at Maheshkhali from Singapore on August 22. This vessel is equipped with a stronger and higher-capacity crane, which is necessary to move the DTM into the correct position.

The operational challenges began on July 11, 2024, shortly after the Summit’s FSRU returned from Singapore, where it had undergone repairs to its ballast water tank, which was damaged during Cyclone Remal on May 27.

While mooring the FSRU with the DTM plug in the subsea landing pad, the DTM buoy messenger line became unexpectedly entangled and sustained damage. This mishap has led to the suspension of 500 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) of gas supply from Summit’s FSRU.

The disruption has significantly impacted Bangladesh’s overall gas supply, reducing the country’s total supply from 3,100 MMCFD to 2,600 MMCFD, against a national demand of approximately 4,000 MMCFD. Excelerate Energy, which operates another FSRU in the Bay of Bengal, supplies 600 MMCFD.