Chevron Suspends Survey Due To Fire

The US giant Chevron announced that the company stopped its seismic survey work in a Bangladesh gas field after a forest fire in the area.

Chevron last month began a six-month 3D seismic survey in Block 14 of the Moulavi Bazar gas field in the country's northeast, which also covers part of a national forest, Reuters reported.

Steve Wilson, chief executive of Chevron in Bangladesh, said at the time the company was conducting the survey ensuring all necessary measures to protect the environment as it was aware of the environmental sensitivity of the area.

Jalal Ahmed, chairman of the Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation or Petrobangla, told Reuters yesterday: "We have sent a team to determine the real causes and extent of damages of the forest and until they come back can not say anything."

Officials of Chevron said there was so far no evidence the fire was connected to its seismic activities.

Chevron is already producing 70 million cubic feet of gas per day from the field, which has an estimated gas reserve of 400 billion cubic feet and was discovered in 1999.

Chevron has invested $820 million in Bangladesh, making it the biggest investor in the country's energy sector.