Tawfiq-e-Elahi clueless about Chevron’s lack of interest to explore deep sea
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Energy Adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury expressed his shock as he finds no clue as to why the US-based oil and gas giant Chevron is not interested to get involved in deep sea exploration in Bangladesh.
"I also welcome them to come and get involved in deep sea exploration in Bangladesh. I talked to Chevron a couple of times, but I have not seen much interest in them. I don't know why," Tawfiq said at an event organised by Chevron Bangladesh to celebrate its 25th anniversary at a city hotel on Tuesday.
Chevron is currently the largest producer of natural gas in Bangladesh with its total output of around 1,445 mmcfd from three onshore fields - Bibiyana, Jalalabad and Moulvi Bazar – which are located in blocks 12, 13 and 14 respectively, according to Petrobangla.
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The country's overall natural gas output is hovering around 3,074 mmcfd, including 761 mmcfd of re-gasified liquefied natural gas (LNG). The remaining 2,313 mmcfd comes from local gas-fields, including the Chevron-operated ones.
Emphasising exploration of more gas, the energy adviser said Bangladesh has to depend on gas, particularly for the power sector.
"So we all join hands to find a way of providing gas to our power plants, to our industries and to other uses," he added.
Seeking help from the US to face the current energy crisis, he said, "This is a very critical time in the energy market globally and for us to find a new process of supply".
"We seek assistance from the US government also to help us overcome the crisis in energy which has impacted developing countries the most," he said.
