PM Seeks More Seismic Researches In Bangladesh From Gazprom

The Prime Minister made the request when a delegation of Gazprom International, led by its CEO Valeriy Gulev, called on the PM at her official Ganobhaban residence here this morning.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, PM's Press Secretary AKM Shamim Chowdhury said that the Gazprom has proposed to work with Bangladesh's state- run BAPEX for exploration of gas in the country's plain lands, hill tracts and offshore areas.

The Gazprom CEO apprised the Prime Minister that his company has been assisting BAPEX in developing 10 gas fields in the country side by side increasing 20 percent production of gas in Bangladesh.

Besides, he said, two more gas fields in the country would be developed by the Gazprom along with BAPEX.

Valeriy also mentioned that he would request his government to give more scholarships to Bangladeshi students in Russia in the fields of higher education in the gas and medical sectors.

The Gazprom high official proposed gas exploration in joint venture with BAPEX in the third country outside Bangladesh like Myanmar.

Congratulating the Prime Minister on her assumption of office for the second consecutive term, the Gazprom CEO also highly praised the dynamic and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for carrying out massive development in the country.

Welcoming the joint-venture proposal of Gazprom with the BAPEX for exploration of gas in the country, the Prime Minister said that such a joint-venture initiative could take place.

In this connection, she said although there may be some resource or financial constraints for the BAPEX, it has sufficient manpower and could work in this sector.

Sheikh Hasina, however, suggested that the joint-venture proposal for exploration of gas in the third country could be considered in the next phase.

Recalling the contribution of Russia during the War of Liberation in 1971, the Prime Minister said that Russia is a time-tested friend of Bangladesh as they had assisted the country to reconstruct the war-ravaged economy and a number of their men laid down their lives during the freedom struggle.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid, PMO Senior Secretary Abul Kamal Azad, Bangladesh Ambassador to Russia Dr SM Saiful Haque, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander A Nikolaev and Petrobangla Chairman Dr Hossain Mansur were present.

Gazprom is a global energy company. Its major business lines are geological exploration, production, transportation, storage, processing and sales of gas, gas condensate and oil, sales of gas as a vehicle fuel as well as generation and marketing of heat and electric power.

Gazprom holds the world's largest natural gas reserves. The Company's share in the global and Russian gas reserves makes up 18 and 72 per cent respectively. Gazprom accounts for 14 and 74 per cent of the global and Russian gas output accordingly.

At present, the company actively implements large-scale projects aimed at exploiting gas resources of the Yamal Peninsula, Arctic Shelf, Eastern Siberia and the Far East, as well as hydrocarbons exploration and production projects abroad.

-Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)