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Niko got Tengratila field thru' doctored reserve

One third of potential gas went missing in Niko-Bapex study for round 2 bidding

SHARIER KHAN
The blown out Tengratila gas field, also known as Chhatak west gas field, was awarded to the Niko-Bapex joint venture by showing a potential gas resource base lesser by at least one third of the estimate spelled out during the second round block bidding.
A World Bank-financed
Petrobangla study in 1996-97 puts Tengratila's gas resource base at 1.9 trillion cubic feet (tcf), of which 1.1 tcf is commercially recoverable.
The Niko-Bapex joint venture was given this gas field showing the potential reserve at below 400 billion cubic feet (bcf). This figure was given by a joint study by Niko and Bapex in 1999-2000, according
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to energy ministry sources.
“Niko is so sure about the Tengratila resources that it has illegally installed a gas pipeline in that area when the gas field was still burning. It is now trying to strike a gas sales agreement, bypassing the government, with Lafarge Cement factory to which it intends to sell Tengratila gas in future,” said one source.
Petrobangla's Hydrocarbon Habitat Study was conducted by an international surveyor to map out oil and gas exploration blocks on the basis of geological structures and potential resources for the second round block bidding in 1997. As per the study, the government opened 15 blocks for exploration and 21 companies submitted offers.
At that time, Niko also submitted bid but it was brushed aside as the company did not qualify financially or technically.
The company with no experience however had the then energy secretary Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury push ahead an unsolicited and most unfavourable deal for Bangladesh.
As part of this bid, Niko was tagged with Bapex to conduct a study of three so-called 'marginal gas fields' -- Feni, Kamta and Chhatak west fields. The study showed the probable reserves of each of these fields below 400 bcf. Accordingly, these fields were awarded to the Niko-Bapex joint venture.
In addition, Niko was illegally given the unexplored Chhatak west gas field due to Niko's close links with the 'alternative centre of power' of the present government.
“With such huge resources awarded to a company that proved its incompetence through two rounds of blowouts in Tengratila, Bangladesh is being deprived of a fair deal,” observed a top official.
When Niko took over, Tengratila field had one well, drilled in the fifties.
“When Bapex-Niko study put the probable resource at around 400 bcf, there was not much of argument because there was no unanimous view about the projection given by the Hydrocarbon Habitat Study in the past. For a dependable estimate of the resource, we needed a three dimensional study,” the official added.
Following the second round of blowout in Tengratila, Niko conducted a three dimensional study in August-September.
The Tengratila relief well was completed two months ago. But the company has been asked by the energy ministry not to announce it because gas seepage from the blown-out field is continuing. The government has now decided to accept the relief well as it is because experts have said this seepage will continue till a gas development well is drilled and gas is produced from that field.
Niko literally grew on deals in Bangladesh and India, and it had no previous experience. Even now, Calgary-based Niko produces natural gas only in India and Bangladesh and runs an industry website indianpetro.com.