ConocoPhillips has sought exploration rights for six deepwater gas blocks in the Bay of Bengal, for which it was selected as the best bidder in 2008 but that were not awarded, as Bangladesh was in the midst of boundary disputes with neighbours Myanmar and India, Petrobangla Chairman Hussain Monsur said late last week, according to a Platts, a web portal of energy data and news, report. ConocoPhillips sent a letter last week to Petrobangla asking for the exploration rights after Bangladesh recently won a favorable verdict against Myanmar from an international tribunal, Monsur said.
Of the six deep water blocks ConocoPhillips is now eyeing, four blocks -- --DS-08-12; DS-08-16; DS-08-17 and DS-08-21 -- are disputed with Myanmar and two—DS-08-15; DS-08-20 -- with India.
State-owned Petrobangla is, however, not yet to sure whether the ruling clears the disputed blocks with Myanmar as it has not received an official copy of the verdict, Petrobangla’s director for production sharing contracts Muhammad Imaduddin said.

Chevron Bangladesh has concluded its implementation of a 3-year education project in the adjoining areas of its Bibiyana Gas Field. The project titled: Shobar Jonno Shikkha (Education for All) , was implemented in association with Save the Children.  According to a Chevron press release, the project covered 15 villages of Nabiganj upazila where the Bibiyana gas field is located,

On the occasion of the project completion, Chevron organized a function on December 28 at addressed, among others, by Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet Khan Mohammad Bilal, Chevron Asia-South’s Policy, Government & Public Affairs (PGPA) General Manager, William A. Koetzle, Chevron Bangladesh’s External Affairs Manager, Obaidullah Al-Ejaz.

Chevron Asia-South’s Lead Advisor, Corporate Responsibility, Naser Ahmed, SHIKHON Program Director at Save the Children, Talat Mahmud, District Education Officer Jahangir Alam and District Primary Education Officer Hazrat Ali.

Hike to be effective in two phases — 1st in Dec, 2nd in Feb

Dhaka, Dec 22 (UNB) – Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) on Thursday raised the retail electricity tariff by 20.28 percent on average, which will come into effect in two phases.
 
In the first phase, the retail tariff was raised by 13-14 percent with effect from December 1 and it was increased by 7-8 percent in the second phase with effect from February 1, 2012.

Along with the tariff hike, the demand and service charges were also raised for the consumers at different levels.
 
The retail power tariff was last raised in February this year by 5 percent on an interim basis. But, the bulk tariff was raised twice, by about 13 percent in February this year, and again by 33 percent in December.
 
After the latest rise, the average retail tariff will go up to Tk 5.02 from the existing average rate of Tk 4.16 per unit (each kilowatt hour).
 
This time, the power tariff was increased for all kinds of consumers, including those in the agriculture, religious institutions and at the grassroots level.
 
Previously, these three groups were always left out from the increase tariff.  But this time, the retail tariff was increased by 5 percent.
 
Announcing the decision, BERC Chairman Syed Yusuf Hossain said this time the tariff of the three consumers groups was increased in order to give a relief to the government from its ‘overburdened’ subsidy.
 
After the 5 percent tariff rise on the groups, the national exchequer will be able to save about Tk 210 crore, he said.

PC for punishment to errant agency

FHM Humayan Kabir

The government has to spend nearly double the fund in actual cost for installing a 240-megawatt power station due to delay in project implementation by a government power generation company, officials said Friday.

Power Division officials said the cost for the 240mw capacity Asian Development Bank-supported power station at Siddhirganj, close to Dhaka city, has doubled to Tk 12.46 billion from its original Tk 6.85 billion estimate.

The state-owned Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh (EGCB) has sought Tk 1.13 billion in extra funds from the Planning Commission for completing its installation, although it received Tk 5.60 billion more funds in 2007 in additional to the original project cost.

"It is very unfortunate that a public company cannot construct a power plant in seven years. Moreover, it has sought two years' more time demanding additional funds for completing the scheme," a senior Power Division official said.