A sea route to northeast in the making
Document Actions
Gas, energy talks with Myanmar set for Wednesday
October 7, 2008: Dhaka, The ministry of energy and Petrobangla will meet separately Wednesday with a high-level delegation from Myanmar, in Bangladesh for three days for talks on a range of bilateral issues.
Sources: Bangladesh
News
Energy secretary Mohammad Mohsin told bdnews24.com: "We
will talk about co-operation in the energy sector in talks with the Myanmar
delegation Wednesday afternoon."
Professor M Tamim, the chief adviser's special assistant for
power, energy, and mines, and energy affairs minister Brigadier General Lun Thi
will lead their respective sides in the talks.
The same Myanmar
delegation will also sit separately with Petrobangla at its headquarters in the
morning. Petrobangla will raise the issue of gas import from Myanmar.
Myanmar's vice-senior General Maung Aye is heading a 55-strong entourage
in Dhaka, including seven cabinet members and chiefs of air and navy forces,
for bilateral talks with Bangladesh
on a range of issues.
Yangon has previously assured Dhaka of considering the
latter's proposal on gas import, though it said last February that a decision
would depend upon discovery of new reserves in Myanmar.
It also said priority would be given to Myanmar's promises to India
and China ahead of Bangladesh.
The government began to ponder new avenues for gas following
a countrywide crisis in supply last year. The energy ministry gave directives
to prioritise gas to fertiliser factories during the last Boro rice season
following crop-destroying floods last year.
Gas supply was reduced to power plants as a result.
According to Petrobangla, 613 million cubic feet against a
requirement of 863 million cubic feet a day is being provided to power plants
at present.
Around 240 million cubic feet gas against a requirement 289
million cubic feet gas is being supplied to fertiliser factories.
There are 79 wells with production capacity in Bangladesh's 18
gas fields. These fields wield a total production capacity of 1,834 million cubic
feet a day.
A total 1,579 million cubic gas were produced on Tuesday.
Talking to bdnews24.com, chairman of Petrobangla Jalal Ahmed said another 30 million cubic feet gas from Bangura Gas Field was added to the national supply from Monday, bringing Bangura's total production to 100 million cubic feet.