New industries in Ctg start getting gas from early Dec
Sunday, 14 December 2008
M Azizur Rahman
New industries in the fuel-starved Chittagong region has finally started getting gas supplies from early December after a halt for over a year, officials said Saturday.
"Several industries have got new gas connections and many others are waiting to have it soon," president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) president Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed confirmed the FE Saturday.
He said some 40 new industries are in the queue to get new gas connections by this month.
The export-oriented industries are getting priority among the new industries in getting gas connection, the CCCI president added.
With the new gas connections to industries in Chittagong one of the caretaker governments' plan for expediting gas connections to new industrial units in the port city turned into reality.
In September 2007 the Bakhrabad Gas System Limited (BGSL), the company entrusted with the supply of gas in greater Chittagong region, had sent letters to the Chittagong chamber and the top investors that it could not make any commitment of gas supply to new plants before 2011 due to the supply crunch.
Scores of industrial units were waiting keenly to get gas connections after investing massively in their projects in and around the port city but could not start operation due to lack of gas, businessmen alleged.
A four-member committee, headed by Petrobangla director of operations Mahbubur Rahman, was formed for selecting the priority plants for supply of gas. Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman was entrusted the responsibility to monitor the developments.
Petrobangla sources said augmentation of gas production from two wells of Bakhrabad gas field and the fall in gas demand in power plants with the advent of winter season has facilitated the new gas connections to Chittagong industrial units.
He said the Petrobangla has planned to enhance gas supply further to the tune of 40 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) from Titas and Bakhrabad gas fields by the end of December.
Chittagong region has been badly hit by scarcity of gas supply for several years due to abnormal fall of production from the country's lone offshore Sangu gas field.
The Scottish Cairn-operated Sangu gas field is now supplying gas of around 34 million cubic feet ((mmcf) per day, one-third less of its average daily production of 50 mmcf in September 2008.
Average gas production of Sangu was around 172 mmcfd during 2006.
Apart from the halt of new gas connections the productions of every type of industries including steel, re-rolling, glass sheet, cement, garment and textile were being hampered badly due to inadequate gas supply.
Productions in bigger industries like Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company (Kafco), Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited (CUFL), Shikalbaha Power Plant, Rauzan Power Plant and a barge-mounted power plant in the port city were also in jeopardy, Chittagong chamber leaders said.
Despite the initiation of new gas supplies to Chittagong industries, the businessmen fear that it might take over a year to provide gas connections to all the new industries.
New industries in the fuel-starved Chittagong region has finally started getting gas supplies from early December after a halt for over a year, officials said Saturday.
"Several industries have got new gas connections and many others are waiting to have it soon," president of the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) president Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed confirmed the FE Saturday.
He said some 40 new industries are in the queue to get new gas connections by this month.
The export-oriented industries are getting priority among the new industries in getting gas connection, the CCCI president added.
With the new gas connections to industries in Chittagong one of the caretaker governments' plan for expediting gas connections to new industrial units in the port city turned into reality.
In September 2007 the Bakhrabad Gas System Limited (BGSL), the company entrusted with the supply of gas in greater Chittagong region, had sent letters to the Chittagong chamber and the top investors that it could not make any commitment of gas supply to new plants before 2011 due to the supply crunch.
Scores of industrial units were waiting keenly to get gas connections after investing massively in their projects in and around the port city but could not start operation due to lack of gas, businessmen alleged.
A four-member committee, headed by Petrobangla director of operations Mahbubur Rahman, was formed for selecting the priority plants for supply of gas. Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman was entrusted the responsibility to monitor the developments.
Petrobangla sources said augmentation of gas production from two wells of Bakhrabad gas field and the fall in gas demand in power plants with the advent of winter season has facilitated the new gas connections to Chittagong industrial units.
He said the Petrobangla has planned to enhance gas supply further to the tune of 40 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) from Titas and Bakhrabad gas fields by the end of December.
Chittagong region has been badly hit by scarcity of gas supply for several years due to abnormal fall of production from the country's lone offshore Sangu gas field.
The Scottish Cairn-operated Sangu gas field is now supplying gas of around 34 million cubic feet ((mmcf) per day, one-third less of its average daily production of 50 mmcf in September 2008.
Average gas production of Sangu was around 172 mmcfd during 2006.
Apart from the halt of new gas connections the productions of every type of industries including steel, re-rolling, glass sheet, cement, garment and textile were being hampered badly due to inadequate gas supply.
Productions in bigger industries like Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company (Kafco), Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited (CUFL), Shikalbaha Power Plant, Rauzan Power Plant and a barge-mounted power plant in the port city were also in jeopardy, Chittagong chamber leaders said.
Despite the initiation of new gas supplies to Chittagong industries, the businessmen fear that it might take over a year to provide gas connections to all the new industries.