Gazprom gets $17m more to raise gas output from 2 fields

The cabinet committee on public procurement approved Wednesday seven proposals including increasing cost by US$17 million against a previously-signed contract with Russian company Gazprom, which aims at raising gas production.
In the absence of committee convener finance minister AMA Muhith, the meeting, held in the cabinet division conference room, was presided over by industries minister Amir Hossain Amu.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, additional secretary of the Cabinet Division Mostafizur Rahman said two subsidiaries of Petrobangla -- Bangladesh Gas Field Ltd and Sylhet Has Field Ltd -- had earlier signed contract with Russian company Gazprom International Investment BV under the fast-track project for raising gas supply from the two fields.
The cost of the project then was set at $100 million. The committee in the meeting approved the proposal of raising the cost by $17 million.
The committee also approved appointment of Indian company Mining Association Pvt Ltd to study the possibility of extracting methane gas from Jamalganj coal field. The cost of the service has been set at Tk 131.30 million.  
Mr Rahman also said that the meeting also approved two proposals for importing a total of 360,000 tonnes of Muriate of Potash (MoP) fertiliser from Belarus at a cost of Tk 11.30 billion. Belarusian Potash Company and Russian company 'Prodintorg' were awarded the job.
He said the meeting also approved two proposals of a project titled 'Development of Chittagong water supply and sanitation'. Two Chinese companies got the contracts which will cost the exchequer Tk 6.16 billion.
Besides, the committee also approved a proposal regarding appointment of an adviser for modernisation of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The government of Denmark is funding the project.
Mr Rahman said before the meeting of the cabinet committee on public procurement, the cabinet committee on economic affairs, in a meeting, chaired by Mr Amu, approved other proposals.
The proposals relate to feasibility study of establishing economic zones in Sirajganj and Jamalpur on public-private partnership, construction of connecting road by BIWTA for proposed Shimulia ferry ghat, and importing Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertiliser from Russia and Saudi Arabia under government-to-government arrangement.
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