The state-owned Geological Survey of Bangladesh has planned to initiate a project on geo-characterisation of the offshore areas of Bangladesh in the context of marine resources exploration and hazards assessment.
The five-year project to be implemented by the GSB at a cost of Tk536.7 crore starts this July.
“We have planned to implement a project for marine resources exploration and hazards assessment. Amicable solution of Bangladesh maritime boundaries with India and Myanmar has created the opportunity to explore our marine territory in order to collect detailed geo-scientific and engineering geological data of the coasts and the sea beds,” GSB Director General Md Nehal Uddin told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
Nehal said that all these data would be helpful for its geo-characterisation, mineral resources identification, exploration of gas hydrates, construction of sea port and deep sea port, oil and gas platforms construction, sub-sea gas or oil pipe line construction and submarine cable layout etc.
He said that the prime objective of this project was to build up a basic geo-scientific data bank on the coast and sea of Bangladesh territory in order to support sustainable exploration and exploration activities of the marine resources and infrastructures development.
Under the project, the GSB would acquire a modern dynamic position survey vessel and conduct step-wise geological, geomorphological, geo-technical and geo-hazards reconnaissance mapping of coastal and estuaries areas, territorial sea up to 12 nautical miles (22.22km), exclusive economic zone up to 200 nmi (370.4km) and onwards up to 350 nmi (648.2km) to develop a preliminary geo-scientific data base of the maritime areas and to identify the areas of interest for future detail research activities.
They would identify and assess economic mineral deposit, assess sediment distribution pattern and dispositional characteristics in the coast and the territorial sea.
Bangladesh won more than 1,18,813 sq-km of waters altogether comprising territorial sea and an exclusive economic zone extending out to 200 nautical miles (370km).
It also has undeniable sovereign rights in the seabed extending as far as 354 nautical miles (around 656km) from Chittagong coast in the Bay of Bengal with all living and non-living resources.
