Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as part of her government’s constant efforts to resolve country’s looming energy crisis and gas supply constraints, has commissioned two important plants here today (30 April).
Muchai Compressor Station built with the support of a US multinational energy corporation Chevron would help increase gas pressure and eliminate drawbacks in the distribution.
While Rashidpur Condensed Fractionation Plant (2nd phase), built by state owned gas exploration and development corporation Petrobangla, would process about 3,750 barrel condensed petroleum everyday to produce petrol, octane, diesel and kerosene saving
foreign exchange worth about Taka 1,500 crore a year.
Addressing a function on the occasion at Bahubal, the Prime Minister said intense monitoring of the government on power and energy sector resulted in commissioning of the two new important plants.
Highly sophisticated Muchai Compressor Station is a new milestone in country’s gas sector, she added.
Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhit, Prime Minister Adviser Dr Tawfiq e elahi chawdhury BB, state minister for power, energy and mineral resources Mohammad Enamul Haque, Energy secretary Mohammad MesbahUddin, Petrobangla Chairman Dr. Hossain Munsur, US ambassador in Bangladesh Dan W. Mozena, president of Chevron Asia Pacific Exploration and Production Co. Ltd. Melody Meyer and President Chevron Bangladesh Geoff Strong spoke among others, on the occasion.
The Prime Minister said the government has taken a decision to import Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) by 2013 to meet the additional demand of energy. As well, she said 18 new wells are being drilled for exploration, evaluation and development of the gas fields.
She said over the last three years around 3,500 megawatt power has been
added to national power grid while everyday 505 million cft gas is being supplied to gas network.
Annual average gas production during BNP-Jamaat government was 470 billion cft which was raised to 685.3 billion cft after the present government taking office, and in 2011, total gas production was recorded at 719.4 bilion cft, she said.
She said the government has already signed a number of agreements with Russian company Gasprom with a target of producing about 300 million cft gas from ten gas fields. Country’s gas crisis would be eased to a large extent when the new gas injected into the national grid, she hoped.
Chevron Asia Pacific President Melody Meyer said, We working together to develop and grow and optimize the natural gas sector Chevron and Bangladesh have set an outstanding example for public-private collaboration. Strong business relationships like ours are essential to ultimately achieving the energy security required to ensure continued economic growth.
US envoy Dan W. Mozena said the Muchai Compressor Station is a great example of Bangladesh-US partnership in the private sector. He laid importance on more US-Bangladesh joint venture particularly in the private sector.
Referring to the victory on maritime boundary dispute with Myanmar the Prime Minister said, after necessary study the government would begin gas exploration in the bay within shortest possible time.
Source: Chevron
