The government on Wednesday appointed the Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corporation of China to drill an exploratory well and a development of a well in Sylhet.
Presided over by finance minister Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali, the decision was taken by a cabinet committee on the government purchase at the secretariat under the Quick Enhancement of Electricity and Energy Supply (Special Provision) Act, 2010 (with the latest amendment of 2021).
The Chinese company has been appointed at Tk 444.85 crore for developing Well 11 in Sylhet and exploratory work in Rashidpur Well 13 under the state-owned Sylhet Gas Field Limited.
An energy expert, however, said the deal amount looked high.
Badrul Imam said that the local company could execute such work almost half of the amount.
The gas exploration at high cost eventually increases the production cost transferred to consumers, he said.
Referring to country鈥檚 large neighbour, Badrul Imam said that India always engaged local experts to gas and oil exploration to grow their capacity.
The trend in Bangladesh is opposite as the government often engages foreign companies, mainly from the US, Russia and China, in local gas exploration, he lamented.
He noted that local agents of the foreign companies mainly benefitted from such deals by getting commission.
Cabinet Division secretary (coordination) Mahmudul Hossain Khan at a briefing said that the Chinese company would implement the deal as the turnkey basis.
The Chinese company will sign a deal with the Sylhet Gas Field Limited soon.
Mahmudul Hossain said that the committee also approved a proposal from Petrobangla to import one cargo of liquefied natural gas from spot market.
M/s Excelerate Energy LP of the US will supply the LNG with per unit costing $13.558, higher from the last one cargo LNG purchased at $12.9697 per unit.
By the latest proposal, the government completed importing process of 21st LNG cargo.聽
The cabinet committee also approved seven other proposals, including import of diammonium phosphate and muriate of potash from Saudi Arabia and Russia on state-level deal, the purchase of two packages under the Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Project and building a multi-storied residential building for the cleaners of the Dhaka North City Corporation at Gabtali.