Dutch co keen to conduct survey in untapped Bay offshore areas
M Azizur Rahman | Sunday, 1 June 2008
Netherland-based global natural resources assessment company Fugro has recently shown interest to conduct survey in Bangladesh's untapped offshore areas in the Bay of Bengal to delineate its resource potentials, officials said.
"Fugro has intended to conduct a non-exclusive seismic survey in the Bay to determine the gas reserve potentials," special aide to Chief Adviser M Tamim told the FE Thursday.
He said the data acquired through the non-exclusive seismic survey is important to measure oil and gas reserve potentials in any structure.
Once the survey is conducted the government could acquire those and sell subsequently to the interested oil and gas companies, Dr M Tamim said.
Fugro is, however, the latest among several international companies that expressed interest to conduct non-exclusive seismic survey in Bangladesh's offshore gas blocks.
Fugro senior executives held talks with the top energy ministry officials recently expressing their interest to conduct a seismic survey in the Bay, a senior energy ministry official said.
He said the company also placed a proposal to the energy ministry for conducting the survey in the Bay, which is considered to have oil and gas reserve potentials though no seismic survey was conducted in the deep sea.
Fugro's offer to conduct the survey, however, came at a time when Bangladesh received lukewarm response from the international oil companies (IOCs) in its latest bidding round for oil and gas exploration in the Bay.
Only seven IOCs submitted bids for 15 offshore gas blocks out of 28 blocks offered in the latest bidding round.
"Fugro has intended to conduct a non-exclusive seismic survey in the Bay to determine the gas reserve potentials," special aide to Chief Adviser M Tamim told the FE Thursday.
He said the data acquired through the non-exclusive seismic survey is important to measure oil and gas reserve potentials in any structure.
Once the survey is conducted the government could acquire those and sell subsequently to the interested oil and gas companies, Dr M Tamim said.
Fugro is, however, the latest among several international companies that expressed interest to conduct non-exclusive seismic survey in Bangladesh's offshore gas blocks.
Fugro senior executives held talks with the top energy ministry officials recently expressing their interest to conduct a seismic survey in the Bay, a senior energy ministry official said.
He said the company also placed a proposal to the energy ministry for conducting the survey in the Bay, which is considered to have oil and gas reserve potentials though no seismic survey was conducted in the deep sea.
Fugro's offer to conduct the survey, however, came at a time when Bangladesh received lukewarm response from the international oil companies (IOCs) in its latest bidding round for oil and gas exploration in the Bay.
Only seven IOCs submitted bids for 15 offshore gas blocks out of 28 blocks offered in the latest bidding round.