Follow-up of ITLOS verdict on maritime dispute with Myanmar
BD gives up claim on 8 deep water gas blocks
M Azizur Rahman
Following the ITLOS verdict Bangladesh has given up claim on eight deep water gas blocks out of the total 12 blocks that were under dispute with Myanmar, as the former finalised block map for new offshore bidding round, a top official of Petrobangla said Friday.
The country could ensure full rights over only four deep water gas blocks in the Bay of Bengal, and partial rights over three blocks, he said.
DS-08-13, DS-08-17, DS-08-18, DS-08-22, DS-08-23, DS-08-16, DS-08-27 and DS-08-28 are the deepwater gas blocks that will go to Myanmar, and excluded from the map of the upcoming bidding round, scheduled to be launched Sunday, said the Petrobangla official.
Bangladesh had offered all these deep water gas blocks for exploration by international oil companies (IOCs) in the previous 2008 offshore bidding round, he said.
It got partial rights on deep water gas blocks DS-08-12, DS-08-16 and DS-08-21, which have been renamed as DS-12, DS-16 and DS-21 for offer in the new offshore bidding round.
The country also got full rights over the deep water gas block DS-08-11 that is now being explored by the US-based oil and gas firm ConocoPhillips.
Bangladesh, however, did not have major dispute over shallow water gas blocks, said the Petrobangla official.
"We have prepared the block map on the basis of the information of the ITLOS verdict, as provided by the foreign ministry," he said.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) based in Hamburg, Germany on March 14 gave its verdict settling the maritime boundary dispute between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The ITLOS verdict upheld Bangladesh's claims to a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone in the Bay of Bengal along with a share of the outer continental shelf beyond 200 miles in a separate boundary dispute with Myanmar, said a foreign ministry official.
Bangladesh also excluded a total of 11 shallow and deep water gas blocks for offer in the new bidding round due to maritime boundary dispute with neighbouring India.
The blocks are - SS-01, SS-05, DS-09, DS-10, DS-11, DS-14, DS-15, DS-19, DS-20, DS-24 and DS-25.
The maritime boundary dispute between Bangladesh and India is now pending for settlement with the UN's Convention on the Law of the Sea. The verdict is expected in 2014.
During the previous offshore bidding round in February 2008, Bangladesh had offered 28 blocks -- 20 in deep water and eight in shallow water.
The response to the offer was lukewarm because of Bangladesh's maritime boundary dispute with Myanmar and India.
The two countries had protested the 2008 bidding round and had communicated with the IOCs not to take part in it.
As a result, Bangladesh could award only parts of two deepwater gas blocks -- DS-08-10 and DS-08-11 -- to ConocoPhillips, three years after launching the bidding round on June 16, 2011 following a series of meetings.
ConocoPhillips signed a production sharing contract with Petrobangla to explore around 70 per cent of block DS-08-10 and 85 per cent of block DS-08-11.
"This time we shall offer a total of 12 'dispute-free' offshore gas blocks -- nine in shallow water and three in deep water -- to avoid controversy and confusion," said the Petrobangla official.
The shallow water gas blocks to be offered are -- SS-02, SS-03, SS-04, SS-06, SS-07, SS-08, SS-09, SS-10 and SS-11. Three deep water gas blocks to be offered are - DS-12, DS-16 and DS-21.
Petrobangla will also offer two discovered shallow water fields -- Kutubdia and Teknaf -- under 'special package' for exploration in this bidding round.
Kutubdia will be tagged with SS-04 and Teknaf with SS-10, and the IOCs that will be awarded the license will to explore the fields.
Financial Express :: Financial Newspaper of Bangladesh
BD gives up claim on 8 deep water gas blocks
M Azizur Rahman
Following the ITLOS verdict Bangladesh has given up claim on eight deep water gas blocks out of the total 12 blocks that were under dispute with Myanmar, as the former finalised block map for new offshore bidding round, a top official of Petrobangla said Friday.
The country could ensure full rights over only four deep water gas blocks in the Bay of Bengal, and partial rights over three blocks, he said.
DS-08-13, DS-08-17, DS-08-18, DS-08-22, DS-08-23, DS-08-16, DS-08-27 and DS-08-28 are the deepwater gas blocks that will go to Myanmar, and excluded from the map of the upcoming bidding round, scheduled to be launched Sunday, said the Petrobangla official.
Bangladesh had offered all these deep water gas blocks for exploration by international oil companies (IOCs) in the previous 2008 offshore bidding round, he said.
It got partial rights on deep water gas blocks DS-08-12, DS-08-16 and DS-08-21, which have been renamed as DS-12, DS-16 and DS-21 for offer in the new offshore bidding round.
The country also got full rights over the deep water gas block DS-08-11 that is now being explored by the US-based oil and gas firm ConocoPhillips.
Bangladesh, however, did not have major dispute over shallow water gas blocks, said the Petrobangla official.
"We have prepared the block map on the basis of the information of the ITLOS verdict, as provided by the foreign ministry," he said.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) based in Hamburg, Germany on March 14 gave its verdict settling the maritime boundary dispute between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The ITLOS verdict upheld Bangladesh's claims to a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone in the Bay of Bengal along with a share of the outer continental shelf beyond 200 miles in a separate boundary dispute with Myanmar, said a foreign ministry official.
Bangladesh also excluded a total of 11 shallow and deep water gas blocks for offer in the new bidding round due to maritime boundary dispute with neighbouring India.
The blocks are - SS-01, SS-05, DS-09, DS-10, DS-11, DS-14, DS-15, DS-19, DS-20, DS-24 and DS-25.
The maritime boundary dispute between Bangladesh and India is now pending for settlement with the UN's Convention on the Law of the Sea. The verdict is expected in 2014.
During the previous offshore bidding round in February 2008, Bangladesh had offered 28 blocks -- 20 in deep water and eight in shallow water.
The response to the offer was lukewarm because of Bangladesh's maritime boundary dispute with Myanmar and India.
The two countries had protested the 2008 bidding round and had communicated with the IOCs not to take part in it.
As a result, Bangladesh could award only parts of two deepwater gas blocks -- DS-08-10 and DS-08-11 -- to ConocoPhillips, three years after launching the bidding round on June 16, 2011 following a series of meetings.
ConocoPhillips signed a production sharing contract with Petrobangla to explore around 70 per cent of block DS-08-10 and 85 per cent of block DS-08-11.
"This time we shall offer a total of 12 'dispute-free' offshore gas blocks -- nine in shallow water and three in deep water -- to avoid controversy and confusion," said the Petrobangla official.
The shallow water gas blocks to be offered are -- SS-02, SS-03, SS-04, SS-06, SS-07, SS-08, SS-09, SS-10 and SS-11. Three deep water gas blocks to be offered are - DS-12, DS-16 and DS-21.
Petrobangla will also offer two discovered shallow water fields -- Kutubdia and Teknaf -- under 'special package' for exploration in this bidding round.
Kutubdia will be tagged with SS-04 and Teknaf with SS-10, and the IOCs that will be awarded the license will to explore the fields.
Financial Express :: Financial Newspaper of Bangladesh
