Chevron plan for 3D seismic survey in Block 14 approved
Thursday, 22 November 2007
FE Report
The government has approved Chevron Bangladesh's plan to conduct a three-dimensional (3D) seismic survey at Moulvi Bazar under Block 14 in the country's northeastern region, company sources said.
"Now we are planning to initiate conducting the survey in early January and continue it for approximately six months," Chevron Bangladesh's president Steve Wilson told the newsmen at a press conference in a city hotel Wednesday.
He said the survey will cover around 152 square kilometers area that includes parts of the Lauachara National Forest near the Moulvi Bazar gas field, the company sources said.
It will help get a better delineation of the Moulavi Bazar gas field, evaluate additional reserves and increase much-needed gas production from the field to meet the ever-increasing demand for gas in the country, Wilson said.
Elaborating Chevron's plan, he said if gas reserves were discovered in the forest area, actual drilling will not be required there to produce gas.
"The survey work will be conducted in an environmentally-sensitive and careful manner and will protect the conservation values of the area," he said.
Local and international environmental specialists will be involved in the survey to understand the Lauachara forest resources and help Chevron adjust survey plans so that impact on the forest is extremely low and temporary, he said.
Independent environmental non-government organisations (NGOs) and forest department officials will be invited to oversee operations and to ensure that they are consistent with the specific needs of the environment, said the Chevron chief in Bangladesh.
Chevron Bangladesh will use the latest survey techniques that will leave no significant impact on the environment, he added.
He said Chevron will strictly adhere to all legal and environmental compliances while implementing the survey programme. The company will conduct a full Environmental Impact Assessment for the seismic programme, which will include a detailed mitigation plan.
Besides, no vehicles will be allowed in the forest, explosives used will have low impact and there will be no surface disturbance during the survey, the company sources said.
Only light-weight man-portable equipment will be used, small drill pumps will be equipped with best quality mufflers to reduce noise, they said.
They said Chevron will also prohibit smoking, music and disturbing wildlife, restrict work hours to daylight hours only and have extensive waste management and environmental discharge plan.
The company is now involved in a number of projects, including planting 60,000 saplings in the area and 40,000 saplings in its ongoing efforts of environmental stewardship.
Currently, Chevron is the largest among the operational international oil companies (IOCs) in Bangladesh with daily gas production of around 600 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), which is about 40 per cent of the country's total daily gas production of around 1600 mmcfd.
Chevron produces gas from three of its existing gas fields - Moulvi Bazar, Jalalabad and Bibiyana - and supplies to the national grid.
Gas production from Moulvi Bazar gas field is around 75 mmcfd, the lowest among the Chevron-operated gas field in the country.
The government has approved Chevron Bangladesh's plan to conduct a three-dimensional (3D) seismic survey at Moulvi Bazar under Block 14 in the country's northeastern region, company sources said.
"Now we are planning to initiate conducting the survey in early January and continue it for approximately six months," Chevron Bangladesh's president Steve Wilson told the newsmen at a press conference in a city hotel Wednesday.
He said the survey will cover around 152 square kilometers area that includes parts of the Lauachara National Forest near the Moulvi Bazar gas field, the company sources said.
It will help get a better delineation of the Moulavi Bazar gas field, evaluate additional reserves and increase much-needed gas production from the field to meet the ever-increasing demand for gas in the country, Wilson said.
Elaborating Chevron's plan, he said if gas reserves were discovered in the forest area, actual drilling will not be required there to produce gas.
"The survey work will be conducted in an environmentally-sensitive and careful manner and will protect the conservation values of the area," he said.
Local and international environmental specialists will be involved in the survey to understand the Lauachara forest resources and help Chevron adjust survey plans so that impact on the forest is extremely low and temporary, he said.
Independent environmental non-government organisations (NGOs) and forest department officials will be invited to oversee operations and to ensure that they are consistent with the specific needs of the environment, said the Chevron chief in Bangladesh.
Chevron Bangladesh will use the latest survey techniques that will leave no significant impact on the environment, he added.
He said Chevron will strictly adhere to all legal and environmental compliances while implementing the survey programme. The company will conduct a full Environmental Impact Assessment for the seismic programme, which will include a detailed mitigation plan.
Besides, no vehicles will be allowed in the forest, explosives used will have low impact and there will be no surface disturbance during the survey, the company sources said.
Only light-weight man-portable equipment will be used, small drill pumps will be equipped with best quality mufflers to reduce noise, they said.
They said Chevron will also prohibit smoking, music and disturbing wildlife, restrict work hours to daylight hours only and have extensive waste management and environmental discharge plan.
The company is now involved in a number of projects, including planting 60,000 saplings in the area and 40,000 saplings in its ongoing efforts of environmental stewardship.
Currently, Chevron is the largest among the operational international oil companies (IOCs) in Bangladesh with daily gas production of around 600 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), which is about 40 per cent of the country's total daily gas production of around 1600 mmcfd.
Chevron produces gas from three of its existing gas fields - Moulvi Bazar, Jalalabad and Bibiyana - and supplies to the national grid.
Gas production from Moulvi Bazar gas field is around 75 mmcfd, the lowest among the Chevron-operated gas field in the country.