Canadian company Niko's operation at Tengratila gas field must be halted immediately scrapping the controversial agreement with it and the government should take over the company's share in Feni gas field as compensation for the massive loss of gas due to repeated explosions and fire at Tengratila.

Ousted state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain's role in hammering the deal must be probed

and he should be brought to public trial.

Geological experts, economists and environmentalists yesterday made these demands at a seminar on 'Tengratila gas well blowout: Causes and Consequences' held at the Geology department of Dhaka University , jointly organised by the department and Paribesh Banchao Andolon.

The speakers said there was no ground for awarding the deal to Niko as local Bapex had records of

successfully conducting such operations.

Niko has miserably failed to prevent repeated disasters at Tengratila. It took about six months to begin drilling a relief well after the first blowout and fire at the main well and drilled it only 100 metres away from the spot of previous incident, ignoring Bapex's suggestion, said geology professor Dr Badrul Imam

Presenting a keynote paper, he

said Niko's failure to apply the 'Blowout Prevention' measure is now leading the Tengratila gas field to the stage of abandonment.

The gas field has developed many geological pockets in the sand layer where has spread, making further drilling highly risky, the expert noted.

"If the gas field is abandoned, the nation will suffer a loss of about 300 billion cubic feet gas worth around Tk 3,600 crore," Badrul said.

Bangladesh Economic Association General Secretary Dr Abul Barakat, however said the losses due to the blowouts and fire would be much more than that if the damage to environment, soil and water are considered.

Geology department Chairman Dr Hossain Monsur, who chaired the seminar, squarely blamed the government for awarding the contract to Niko, ignoring the usual process of production sharing contract (PSC). But only a state minister (Mosharraf ) paid for it, he mentioned.

If Tengratila gas field can be developed, Niko will earn between Tk 2,160 crore and Tk 2,880 crore with 60 to 80 percent share of the gas while it will pay only Tk 100 crore to Bangladesh, Monsur pointed out.

He also criticised the government plan to sell gas from Bibiyana field to Tata at a subsidised rate as in the cases of local industries.

Nuruddin Mahmud Kamal, former chairman of Power Development Board, said, Niko deserves to be punishment for the destruction of gas resources.

Tengratila can never be a marginal or abandoned gas field having a gas reserve of about 300 bcf. But apparently it is going to be an abandoned one," said Kamal, also a geologist.

Other speakers included Dr Md Ismail, former director (exploration) of Petrobangla, MA Matin, former general manager of Bapex, Paribesh Banchao Andolon President Abu Naser Khan, and Sylhet Division Development Forum President Advo