Govt wants foreign firms' help to stop Titas gas seepage
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
M Azizur Rahman
The government has sought technical assistance from foreign companies to stop gas seepage from the Titas gas field at Brahmanbaria some 100 kilometers south east of the capital, officials said Monday.
The state-owned Petrobangla has already sought expressions of interests (EoIs) from global firms among the Asian Development Bank (ADB) member countries for a permanent solution of the problem.
Qualified firms will be short-listed and the contract will be awarded to the lowest bidder to carry out the job at Titas field owned by Petrobangla's subsidiary -- Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited (BGFCL).
The firms would also supervise drilling works, installation of equipment and testing and commissioning of the gas process plants at Titas, which would be funded by the ADB.
The closing date for submission of the EoIs and necessary documents is December 17 next.
"Titas is the country's oldest and most potential gas field and the seepage might be the outcome of years of performances from very old gas wells," Petrobangla chairman Dr Hussain Mansur told the FE Monday.
He said the foreign firms would be given appointment to stop the leakage, work over Titas's well and development.
Petrobangla would also carry out Titas's reserve assessment, said the Petrobangla top brass.
"We are trying to protect the large gas reserves in Titas gas field from being wasted," said Dr Monsur.
Existing gas production from the Titas gas fields would remain uninterrupted so that it does not hamper industrial production and power generations, he added.
Experts said gas has been leaking from Titas field frequently since 2005 due to alleged apathy from the authorities concerned.
The government has sought technical assistance from foreign companies to stop gas seepage from the Titas gas field at Brahmanbaria some 100 kilometers south east of the capital, officials said Monday.
The state-owned Petrobangla has already sought expressions of interests (EoIs) from global firms among the Asian Development Bank (ADB) member countries for a permanent solution of the problem.
Qualified firms will be short-listed and the contract will be awarded to the lowest bidder to carry out the job at Titas field owned by Petrobangla's subsidiary -- Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited (BGFCL).
The firms would also supervise drilling works, installation of equipment and testing and commissioning of the gas process plants at Titas, which would be funded by the ADB.
The closing date for submission of the EoIs and necessary documents is December 17 next.
"Titas is the country's oldest and most potential gas field and the seepage might be the outcome of years of performances from very old gas wells," Petrobangla chairman Dr Hussain Mansur told the FE Monday.
He said the foreign firms would be given appointment to stop the leakage, work over Titas's well and development.
Petrobangla would also carry out Titas's reserve assessment, said the Petrobangla top brass.
"We are trying to protect the large gas reserves in Titas gas field from being wasted," said Dr Monsur.
Existing gas production from the Titas gas fields would remain uninterrupted so that it does not hamper industrial production and power generations, he added.
Experts said gas has been leaking from Titas field frequently since 2005 due to alleged apathy from the authorities concerned.