BAPEX becomes active after four years in limbo

Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration & Production Company Limited (BAPEX) is going to dig a new well in search of gas in Kasba, Brahmanbaria, on April 27. After four years of sitting idle, BAPEX is starting its exploration works again. BAPEX Managing Director (MD), Ruhul Islam Chowdhury confirmed matter on April 23. Ruhul said: “We are going to start excavating in three new exploration sites along with two work-over (repair) sites from April 27.” Bijoy-12 Rig has been on standby to excavate the new exploration site. In next week, Bijoy-10 will start excavating wells in the Salda Gas Field. It is said that the excavation work on Salda may start April 29. Rig Bijoy-11 will start working in Habiganj on May 7. A number of officials of the Energy Division said every year a new secretary gets appointment and new plans are being made, but they never get implemented. BAPEX has gone through a period of upheaval. There were four new MDs appointed in the last four years. Moreover, illegal influence of syndicate was ever present, critics say. Influential quarters tried to give a contract to Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) instead of BAPEX to do the ground works. For this reason, BAPEX was in an inactive mode for a long time. Seeking anonymity, an official of BAPEX said: “We had to fight to get work done here. The government has precedence to allocate budget for our work. Even the projects needs to be approved by the government.” The official said: “For the last few years, a multinational company is doing excavation works of wells instead of BAPEX, it is not our fault. It is the matter of Power Division’s policy.” In the beginning of April, the IDCO-1700 Rig started work-over (repair) in Begumganj. In addition, work-over will be operated at Bhola with IPS Cardial and the new Rig ZJ-65 will work at Kailashtilla Gas Field. BAPEX excavated 9 gas wells from 1990 to 2011. More than 9 wells were excavated between 2011 and 2017. At this time two wells in Bhola was drilled by the Russian multinational company, Gazprom. Although BAPEX’s rig was sitting idle at that time. There are thousands of cubic feet of gas shortages per day in the country. In such a situation, instead of emphasizing the oil and gas exploration in the country’s land, there is criticism about making BAPEX sit idle. There were shortages of government fund before, now gas exploration and lifting works are funded by gas development fund (GDF). Energy expert Prof Shamsul Alam thinks BAPEX should not sit idle. He said: ““The government should announce that no block should be handed over to the foreign company. “BAPEX needs have a long-term plan instead of doing small work. They will work according to the outline or the action plan,” he said. Prof Shamsul also said: “There will be a strategy for investment. They will work with the gas development fund’s money. In this way, a complete plan has to be prepared.” “Legally, all the excavation blocks should be handed over to BAPEX for exploration. As well as giving a guideline that, in the next five years, BAPEX should have the ability to search in the sea,” he added. He thinks that BAPEX will be strengthened if these suggestions are taken in to consideration by the government. Now every day, about 2,800 million cubic feet gas is supplied against domestic demand of 3,800 million cubic feet. The government is importing 500 million cubic feet LNG every day to cope with this crisis. This gas will be added to the national grid starting next month.This article was first published on banglatribune.com