A NATIONAL daily has reported that Bangladesh’s neighbour Myanmar has completed a three dimensional data acquisition in search of petroleum resources in its offshore Block AD 7, three kilometers off Bangladesh’s shallow sea Block 11. Reports have it that Myanmar has also plans to drill an exploration well in the area based on the prospects the seismic data would show in the next exploration period. Concerned experts opined that a gas field, stretched between two of the sovereign territories, should shared between the countries as per international practices. But before that, they said, both the countries should have to claim their share on the resources based on seismic data and settle the economic “property rights” thereby.
It is assumed that there might be a shared latent hub of mineral resources such as oil and gas between Bangladesh and Myanmar as the Rakhain basin which has potentials for oil and gas discovery is considered to have stretched into the Bangladesh territory.
It is really unfortunate in Bangladesh’s part that Petrobangla needs to buy three-dimensional seismic data from Myanmar to assess the potential of resources in a common structure between the two neighbouring countries. But, can anyone say that Myanmar has better educational and research facilities than BUET or Dhaka University. So there is an apathy in Petrobangla in terms of conducting research.
What is more alarming is that experts raised concerns that Bangladesh could lose its share of the mineral resources under the seabed if Myanmar discovered an oil and gas field and Bangladesh failed to identify the existence of the structure in its territory. Whoever first begins oil and gas extraction in a reserve, stretched between two sovereign territories, will be benefited. Bangladesh could have its advantage over the region in oil and gas exploration by conducting a seismic survey earlier. Petrobangla, more so the government, has failed in this area.
We are of the view that Petrobangla must ensure full concentration in this particular issue and take immediate steps to resolve the situation. If the government fails to facilitate Petrobangla, the story of “winning an ocean” will sound very superficial and hollow about which allegations have it that Bangladesh already lost a great deal last time. So we don’t have the luxury and can’t afford to lose again when domestic energy demands are all set to intensify in order to meet up the investment and growth in the near future.
