Govt committed to strengthening BAPEX, says Energy Adviser
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
FE Report
The government is committed to strengthening the BAPEX (Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration & Production Company Limited) through increasing its activities, said Energy Adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury Tuesday.
Elahi said BAPEX got allocation of Tk 17 billion against 13 projects for the first time in its history and the government also decided to allocate Tk 8.5 billion against another five projects under Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special Provision) Bill, 2010.
He was addressing a roundtable on "Gas Sector Challenge and Role of BAPEX" as the chief guest at the CIRDAP auditorium.
Former energy minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain, Petrobangla Chairman Hussain Mansur, BUET Professor Ijaz Hossain and former chairman of Petrobangla Mosharraf Hossain, among others, spoke in the programme.
BAPEX Managing Director Mortuza Ahmed Faruque presented the keynote paper in the roundtable meeting with Mollah Amzad Hossain, editor of Energy and Power, moderating the discussion.
The adviser said the government wants to make the BAPEX a strong organisation. Experts, therefore, should be involved in the activities of the organisation, he said.
They already started work of gas exploration in the Chittagong Hill Tracts area to increase gas supply to the port city, he stated.
Mr Elahi said, they will complete agreement within two months with the Conoco Philips, a USA-based multi-national petrochemical company, for offshore gas exploration".
He, however, said the government is spending huge amounts of money for increasing gas supply.
He said the government asked the Shevron to increase production to 1000mmcf in Bibiana gas field, but the organisation said it would not be possible for them to produce more than 600mmcf.
The adviser said 200 mmcf gas will be added by 2011.
Tawfiq-e-Elahi said the gas problem of the country will be solved by 2015 while Dr Hussain Mansur said the demand for as in the country will be met by 2012 with 500mmcf surplus.
Mansur said he has specific statistics in this connection.
Mr AKM Mosharraf Hossain said, "we cannot expect more from the organisation without strengthening it."
He expressed the opinion that power plant should be run by coal and industry by gas.
Mortuza Ahmed Faruque said in his keynote paper the daily supply of gas in the country is 1995 mmcf but the demand is 2300mmcf.
Of the total gas output, foreign companies produce 93 per cent while state owned BAPEX produces 7.0 per cent.
The government is committed to strengthening the BAPEX (Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration & Production Company Limited) through increasing its activities, said Energy Adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury Tuesday.
Elahi said BAPEX got allocation of Tk 17 billion against 13 projects for the first time in its history and the government also decided to allocate Tk 8.5 billion against another five projects under Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special Provision) Bill, 2010.
He was addressing a roundtable on "Gas Sector Challenge and Role of BAPEX" as the chief guest at the CIRDAP auditorium.
Former energy minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain, Petrobangla Chairman Hussain Mansur, BUET Professor Ijaz Hossain and former chairman of Petrobangla Mosharraf Hossain, among others, spoke in the programme.
BAPEX Managing Director Mortuza Ahmed Faruque presented the keynote paper in the roundtable meeting with Mollah Amzad Hossain, editor of Energy and Power, moderating the discussion.
The adviser said the government wants to make the BAPEX a strong organisation. Experts, therefore, should be involved in the activities of the organisation, he said.
They already started work of gas exploration in the Chittagong Hill Tracts area to increase gas supply to the port city, he stated.
Mr Elahi said, they will complete agreement within two months with the Conoco Philips, a USA-based multi-national petrochemical company, for offshore gas exploration".
He, however, said the government is spending huge amounts of money for increasing gas supply.
He said the government asked the Shevron to increase production to 1000mmcf in Bibiana gas field, but the organisation said it would not be possible for them to produce more than 600mmcf.
The adviser said 200 mmcf gas will be added by 2011.
Tawfiq-e-Elahi said the gas problem of the country will be solved by 2015 while Dr Hussain Mansur said the demand for as in the country will be met by 2012 with 500mmcf surplus.
Mansur said he has specific statistics in this connection.
Mr AKM Mosharraf Hossain said, "we cannot expect more from the organisation without strengthening it."
He expressed the opinion that power plant should be run by coal and industry by gas.
Mortuza Ahmed Faruque said in his keynote paper the daily supply of gas in the country is 1995 mmcf but the demand is 2300mmcf.
Of the total gas output, foreign companies produce 93 per cent while state owned BAPEX produces 7.0 per cent.