Sri Lanka Has Sufficient Litro and Laugfs Gas Stocks, Cabinet Spokesman Says

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Sri Lankan government has assured the public that liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplies remain sufficient to meet national demand, despite storage capacity limitations and some distribution-related challenges.

Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said Litro Gas Lanka Limited has a storage capacity of around 8,000 metric tons, while the country’s monthly LPG requirement ranges between 30,000 and 33,000 metric tons. As a result, gas cannot be imported in a single shipment to meet monthly demand and must instead be supplied in smaller, phased quantities.

He explained that Litro Gas typically imports around 8,000 metric tons at a time, which is sufficient to cover approximately five days of demand. Larger gas shipments are transported to the Maldives by Geo Gas Trading, after which smaller vessels deliver gas to Sri Lanka multiple times, usually three to four times over a given period.

Minister Jayatissa said Sri Lanka’s Litro Gas requirement for March stands at approximately 33,000 metric tons, while orders have been placed for 38,000 metric tons. Supplies under these orders are currently being received.

For April, the estimated requirement is 30,000 metric tons, and orders have also been placed for 38,000 metric tons to ensure adequate availability.

He noted that at the beginning of March, a shipment of 30,000 metric tons arrived in the Maldives, from which Sri Lanka has already received the required quantity. In addition, two more shipments of 38,000 metric tons each are scheduled to arrive in the Maldives later in March to supply gas to Sri Lanka. 

A further shipment of around 30,000 metric tons is expected to reach the Maldives in April for onward supply.

The minister said these arrangements ensure that Litro Gas is being supplied in sufficient quantities to meet national demand.

He also referred to Laugfs Gas, a private sector supplier, which has informed authorities that it will supply 8,000 metric tons on March 30 and 31, and a further 21,000 metric tons between April 25 and 27. Laugfs Gas typically supplies around 7,000 to 8,000 metric tons to the domestic market each month.

Minister Jayatissa said when Litro Gas supplies of 38,000 metric tons are combined with Laugfs Gas volumes, total LPG availability exceeds the country’s monthly requirement. 

He acknowledged that some distribution issues persist in certain areas but noted that overall gas distribution is becoming increasingly systematic and stable.