Gas Exploration in Bhola: BSD concerned over deal inked with Russia

Protesting the government’s move of signing a contract with a Russian company for gas exploration in Bhola, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) formed a human chain in front of Ashwini Kumar Hall yesterday.

The protesters claimed that such a move will be against the country’s interest and the government should have assigned a local company for it.

They also claimed that Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (Bapex) is capable of carrying out the activity by itself.

Imran Habib Rumon, convener of the district unit of BSD, presided over the event, addressed by Dr Manisha Chakraborty, co-coordinator of the unit, among others.

GAZPROM, BAPEX TO SEARCH FOR OIL, GAS

Russian energy giant Gazprom and Bapex signed two deals at Petrobangla’s Karwan Bazar office in the capital on January 28. One was on strategic cooperation and other on conducting 2D/3D seismic surveys in Bhola in search of gas and oil.

There are two gas fields is Bhola at present covering an area of around 8,000 square kilometres.

During a visit to Russia in 2010, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged her counterpart to aid Bangladesh’s gas exploration and development activities.

In 2012, a turnkey agreement was signed with Gazprom as contractor to drill 10 wells to extract gas under areas of Bapex, Bangladesh Gas Fields Company and Sylhet Gas Fields.

Wells were drilled at Srikail of Cumilla and Shahbazpur of Bhola. Gas was discovered in the latter and extraction has been ongoing for the past 10 years. Three more wells were planned to be drilled there.

In 2017, Bapex discovered another gas field in Bhola. The government decided to take help from Russia’s Gazprom to assess reserves there.