Meghna Petroleum Limited (MPL)

Meghna Petroleum Limited (MPL) was setup on December27,1977 under Company Act 1913 (later on company Act 1994), as a private limited company with the objectives of taking over the physical possession of all the fixed assets of the erstwhile Meghna Petroleum Marketing Company Limited (MPMCL) and Padma Petroleum Limited (PPL) as on March 31, 1978. Meghna Petroleum Marketing Company Limited was created after acquiring the operation of the then ESSO Eastern Inc. (1962) of America in 1975 and Padma Petroleum Limited was created in 1972 after acquiring the operation of the then Dawood Petroleum Limited (1968).

In the year 1976 the assets and liability of the company were transferred and handed over to Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) as per BPC Ordinance no. LXXXVIII. Since then Meghna Petroleum Limited has been functioning as a subsidiary of BPC The Company started its journey with an Authorized Capital and Paid-up Capital of Tk. 100 million and Tk. 50 million respectively. The Company was converted into Public Limited Company from a Private Limited Company on 29th May 2007 and its Authorized Capital was increased to Tk. 4000 million. 

On 17th January 2014 the Paid-up Capital of the Company was increased to 983.8 million by issuing Bonus Share. The Company was enlisted with Dhaka Stock Exchange Limited (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange Limited (CSE) on 14th November 2007 and 2nd December 2007 respectively with a view of off-load of 30% i.e. 1.20 Crore shares under direct listing procedure. On 14th January, 2008 the shares of the company were off-loaded in the two Capital Market. Later on as per Govt, decision BPC has been off-loaded another 17% share of the Company during the period from July 2011 to September 2011 under the same procedure.

At present there is a Board of Directors comprising of 9 members to run the company. The overall activities of the company are performed with the approval of the Board of Directors.

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Jamuna Oil Company Limited

In 1964 Pakistan National Oil Limited (PNOL), the maiden National Oil Company of the then Pakistan was established as a private limited company. The company started functioning with an authorized capital of Tk.2.00 crore. After the Independence of Bangladesh in 1971 the Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh acquired the assets and liabilities of Pakistan National Oil Limited by virtue of Bangladesh Abandoned Property (control, Management & Disposal) Order, 1972 (P. O. No. 16 of 1972) and the Company was renamed as Bangladesh National Oil Limited. The Company has been finally renamed as Jamuna Oil Company Limited (JOCL) by the Government on 13 January, 1973. At that time the company was operated by an adhoc committee called Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC) under Petrobangla, constitute by the notification No. 21 m-4/76 (NR) dated 21-4-73, M/O. Natural Resources. 

Jamuna Oil Company Limited was registered with the registrar of Joint Stock Companies & Firms as fully Government owned Private Limited Company on 12 March, 1975 under Companies Act 1913 with authorized capital of Tk. 10.00 crore and paid-up capital of Tk. 5.00 crore. Subsequently, in the year 1976 the assets and liabilities of the Company were transferred & handed over to Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) as per schedule stated in clause 31(c) of BPC Ordinance No. LXXXVIII (published in Bangladesh Gazette extra ordinary on 13 November, 1976). Since then Jamuna Oil Company Limited has been functioning as a Subsidiary of BPC. On 1 January, 1986 all assets and liabilities of Indo-Burmah Petroleum Company Limited (IBPCL) were transferred to the Company.

In 2005-2006 FY the paid-up capital of the company was increased to Tk. 10.00 crore from Tk. 5.00 crore by issuing of bonus share out of its profit. The company was converted into a Public Limited Company from a Private Limited Company on 25 June, 2007 and its authorized capital was increased to Tk. 300.00 crore. On 10 August, 2007 the paid-up capital of the company was increased to Tk.45.00 crore by issuing bonus share of Tk. 35.00 crore. The company was enlisted with Dhaka Stock Exchange Limited and Chittagong Stock Exchange Limited on 9 January, 2008 with a view to off-load 1.35 crore shares of Tk.10.00 each under direct listing procedure and accordingly the shares of the company were off-loaded in the capital market.

On 14th may,2011, in its 35th AGM, the company declared to pay 30% cash dividend and 20% Bonus share of taka 10.00 each for the FY 2009-2010. With this issuance of bonus share, company's total paid up capital soared to Tk. 54.00 Crore.

On 11th february,2012, in its 36th AGM, the company declared to pay 30% cash dividend and 30% Bonus share of taka 10.00 each for the FY 2010-2011. With this issuance of bonus share, company's total paid up capital soared to Tk. 70.20 Crore. 

In its 37th AGM, held on January 12, 2013, the company declared and approved to pay 45% cash dividend and 30% stock dividend of taka 10.00 each for the FY 2011-12. As a result, company's total paid up capital increased to 91.26 Crore.

There is a Board of Directors constituting of 9 members to run the Company. The overall activities of the company are performed with the approval of the Board of Directors. The company implements the Government policies as per the guidance and directives of BPC from time to time.

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White Clay; high quality clay used in the ceramic industry

White Clay high quality clay composed of kaolin clay mineral and used mainly in the ceramic industry. In Bangladesh it is used widely as household wares. There are surface to near surface deposits of white clay in Bijoypur and Gopalpur area of Netrokona district, Nalitabari of Sherpur district, Haidgaon of Chittagong district and Baitul Izzat of Satkania thana, Chittagong district. Besides there are subsurface deposits of white clay in Maddhyapara, Barapukuria, Dighipara of Dinajpur district and Patnitala of Naogaon district. The exposed white clay is not good in quality. It is used in the ceramic factories of Bangladesh after mixing with high quality imported clay.

The Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) first discovered white clay at Bhedikura of Durgapur Thana in the Mymensingh district in 1957. Later on in 1957-58, geological mapping in that area was furnished. In 1964-65 GSP drilled 13 holes in the area to determine the thickness and reserves. In 1978, 1980 and 1983 the geological survey of bangladesh (GSB) conducted detail investigation in the area. The extent of white clay in layers and lenses was found at Bhedikura to Maizpara in the west and Fundakura to Gopalpur in the east. The reserves is 2.47 million ton in an area of 3.84 sq km up to the down dip of 60m. This is known as Bijoypur white clay. The white clay at Bhuranga area of Nalitabari upazila in Sherpur district was discovered in 1990 by the GSB. 

Lenses of white clay are present in this area. The reserves are 0.0013 million ton in an area of 0.40 sq km. GSB discovered scattered lenses of white clay at Haidgaon area of Chandanaish upazila in Chittagong district in 1976. In this area the deposit is 0.0019 million tons only. The deposits found at Baitul-Izzat area of Satkania upazila are 0.0025 million tons. These clays are low-grade clay. 

The subsurface deposit of white clay was first discovered at Patnitala of Naogaon district in 1965 at the depths ranging from 340m to 350m while drilling for economic minerals in the area by GSP. The white clay at Maddhyapara area was found by GSB in 1974 at a depth ranging from 128 m to 156 m below the surface while drilling for hard rock. This clay was found on the top of the Precambrian hard rock. The thickness of this clay ranges from 1.2m to 6.4m and the reserves in an area of one sq km is 15 million ton. 

The white clay at Barapukuria of Dinajpur district was discovered by the GSB in 1985 while drilling for coal in the area. The white clay is found at the top of the Permian Gondwana formation at the depths ranging from 118m to 184m below the surface. The thickness of this clay is 1.98m to 12.5m and the reserve is 25 million ton in an area of I sq km. 

In 1994 white clay was discovered by GSB at Dighipara area of Dinajpur district while drilling for coal. This clay is present on the top of the Gondwana Formation at a depth ranging from 325m to 328m. Detail investigation on this clay is yet to be done. The subsurface deposit of white clay is rather difficult to mine. [Banglapedia, QM Arifur Rahman]

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Eastern Refinery; the largest oil refinery in Bangladesh

Eastern Refinery is the largest oil refinery in Bangladesh. Eastern Refinery Limited (locally known as ERL), a subsidiary of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, plays a vital role in supplying around 40% of country’s current petroleum products demand and thus maintains stability in Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (POL) Products market of the country. ERL sometimes becomes the only fall back system available, to avoid products crisis in the face of disruption of products’ import.

ERL as a profitable company in the Public Sector contributes substantially to the national exchequer in the form of dividend, taxes, VAT etc.

Eastern Refinery was incorporated under Companies’ Act 1913(amended in 1994) as a Public Limited Company in 1963 with 35% EPIDC’s( East Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation) shares, 30% shares held by Burmah Oil Company (BOC) and the rest 35% by private entrepreneurs. From November, 1985, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) became the 100% share holder of the company.

Refinery went on-stream with three Processing Units:

1. Crude Distillation Unit
2. Catalytic Reforming Unit
3. Hydrodesulphurization Unit

New Process units added to original configuration:

1. Asphaltic Bitumen Plant(Commissioned in Dec. 1980)
2. Long Residue Visbreaker Unit (Commissioned in Dec.1994)
3. Mild Hydrocracker Unit (Hydrodesulphurization Unit revamped to MHC unit, commissioned in Dec.1994);
4. MHC unit Converted to NGC (Natural Gas Condensate) unit, Commissioned in Nov. 2007 by ERL Engineers

Under a Processing Agreement with BPC, ERL processes crude oil imported by BPC and delivers the finished petroleum products to the other subsidiaries of BPC for marketing and distribution. ERL processes Arabian Light Crude (ALC) and Murban Crude, imported respectively from KSA and Abu Dhabi and produces 15 petroleum products. ERL also processes natural gas condensate to the tune of 100,000 MT/Yr as crude mix. ERL's operational and other activities are as follows :

• Receives crude oil imported by BPC in ERL's own storage tanks.
• Produces petroleum products by processing crude oil and transfer these to other subsidiaries of BPc through pipe lines.
• Receives imported motor gasoline and diesel in ERL's storage tanks and after necessary blending, transfers these as MS & HSD to marketing companies.
• Operates Asphaltic Bitumen Plant and delivers the produced Bitumen to marketing companies.
• Procures equipment, spares, chemical etc. in order to maintain continuous and smooth operation of the refinery.
• Prepares and executes development projects essential for improvement of refinery operations.

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Glass Sand; an Another Natural Resources

Glass Sand a special type of sand that is suitable for glass making because of its high silica content, and its low content of iron oxide, chromium, cobalt and other colourants. In Bangladesh surface to near surface deposits of glass sands are found in Balijuri of Sherpur district, Shajibazar and Teliapara of Habiganj district, Chauddagram upazila of Comilla district and Dakshin Zangal of Hathazari upazila in Chittagong district. Sub-surface glass sands were found in Maddhyapara, Barapukuria and Dighipara of Dinajpur district and Khalaspir of Rangpur district. The sand contains about 88 to 99% of silica with a few percentages of iron, titanium, cobalt, and other materials.

The Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) first discovered glass sands in 1960 at Balijuri Mouza of Sreebardi upazila in Sherpur district. Detail investigation in this area continued in the years between 1961 and 1962, and 1977 and 1980. The glass sands are deposited in 30 lenses of 0.15 to 2.13m thick. The reserve is 0.64 million ton in an area of 0.596 sq km. GSP conducted survey at Nayapara area of Habiganj district in 1970-71. Later on in 1972-73, and 1974-76 detail work on this was completed by geological survey of bangladesh (GSB). In this area the sands are deposited in lenses of 0.15m to 1.80m thick and the total reserves is 1.40 million ton covering an area of 0.9811 sq km. 

The glass sand at Batisha of Chauddagram area of Comilla district was first discovered by the National Mining Institution in 1968. GSP conducted detail survey in the area in 1968-70 and continued by GSB between 1972 and 1974. The sands are deposited in lenses of 0.25m to 1.70m thick near the foothills of Tripura upto Nayapara in the north and Datteswar in the south at the Indian border. The sand is found at the surface to near surface (0.5m to 3.5m). The reserves of total 34 lenses are 0.285 million ton in an area of 0.234 sq km. 

Besides the surface deposits the glass sands are also found at subsurface of Lalghat-Lamakata at Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj district near Bangladesh-India (Meghalaya) border at a depth of 23.78m to 72.95m below the surface in 1991. The sands are present in two layers of 1.22 to 1.83m thick (each). The reserve is 2.55 million ton upto the down dip of 164m of the layers. The subsurface deposit of glass sand at Maddhyapara was discovered in 1974 at the depth of 128m below the surface. It is present on the top of the Pre-Cambrian basement complex. The glass sand with clay layer is 5.2 to 16m thick and the average of sand layer is 4m thick. The reserves covering an area of 1.0 sq km are 17.25 million ton. 

The glass sand at Barapukuria was discovered in 1985 at a depth of 118m to 180m below the surface while drilling for coal in the basin. The average thickness of the sand is 21.90m and the reserves in an area of one square kilometre is 90 million ton. Besides these, subsurface deposits of glass sand was also found at Dighipara basin in 1994. The sands are present in 5 layers in this basin at a depth ranging from 62.19m to 325.30m below the surface. The total thickness of the 5 layers is 77.13m. The reserve is yet to be confirmed.

The glass sand at Chauddagram-Nayapara-Datteswar area are quarried and used in the Osmania Glass Sheet Factory at Chittagong. The sub-surface deposits at the Rangpur platform area may be utilised if there is any open cast mine for coal or hard rock in future in the area. [Banglapedia, QM Arifur Rahman]

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About Titas gas field

Titas gas field is located some 100 Km away to the direction of northern-east from capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka. It lies at the skirt of the Brahmanbaria district town. This field was discovered by Pakistan Shell Oil Company in 1962. The structure is an elongate north-south asymmetrical anticline measuring about 19x10 square km with a vertical closure of 500m. As per latest Petrobangla re-estimation, total recoverable gas reserve of Titas gas field is 7,582 billion cubic feet (BCF).  Commercial gas production from this field was commenced in 1968  and till January 31, 2016 total 4098.819 billion cubic feet gas or 54.06%  of reserves has been recovered.

Out of total 23 (twenty three) nos. gas wells drilled so far in this field 8 (eight) are vertical wells and the remaining 15 (fifteen) are directional wells. The wells are spread (surface location) at 7 (seven) different locations stretched over about 11 km distance. In January 2016, average 517.02 million cubic feet of gas is produced daily from 21 wells of this field and processed through 8 nos. glycol dehydration type, 4 nos. Low Temperature Separation (LTS) type and 2 nos. LTS with glycol dehydration type process plants and  supplied to the transmission pipelines of Titas Gas Transmission & Distribution Co. Ltd. (TGTDCL) and Gas Transmission Company Ltd. (GTCL). About 380 bbls condensate is produced daily with gas as by-product. In January 2016, average condensate/gas ratio of this field is 0.735 bbls/million cubic feet and water/gas ratio is 0.800 bbl/million cubic feet (excluding well no Titas 12, 13 & 20). Titas well no.3 was Plugged & Abandoned by snubbing operation on 25.02.2008 to prevent gas seepage from nearby locality.

Condensate produced from Titas gas field (about 380 bbls per day), Narsingdi gas field (about 48 bbls per day) & Habiganj gas field (about 12 bbls per day) of BGFCL and about 100 bbls heavy condensate from Beanibazar gas field of SGFL are fractionated into MS (Petrol) and HSD (Diesel) through two fractionation plants at this field having plant capacity of 500 bbls each. The products are being sold to Padma Oil Company Ltd.

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Sylhet Gas Fields Limited (SGFL)

Sylhet Gas Fields Limited (SGFL), a company of Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation (PETROBANGLA) under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources is the pioneer in the discovery and production of natural gas and mineral oil in the country. Though this Company was incorporated on 8th May, 1982, its history of production and sale of natural gas dates back to 1960 under the umbrella of its predecessor, erstwhile Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), which discovered gas at Sylhet Well No. 1 at Haripur in Sylhet District in the year 1955. It was the first discovered hydrocarbon gas field in the Country.

In 1960, commercial production of gas commenced for the first time in the country by supplying about 4 million cubic feet of gas per day to Chhatak Cement Factory which heralded a new era in respect of production and use of natural gas in this region. It was landmark in the use of natural gas as an industrial prime-mover.

In 1961, transmission of gas from Sylhet Well No. 3 commenced to Fenchuganj Fertilizer Factory through a 30 mile long 8 inch dia pipe line at the rate of 20 million cubic feet per day. This was a turning point in our industrial development since natural gas was used as raw material in industry. In fact, it was the beginning of an era which paved the way for a promising future.

On 23rd December 1986, the long cherished dream of the country came true with the first Oil find in Well No. 7 at Sylhet (Haripur) Field. The Discovery gave a new impetus and opened a new horizon hope for exploration of mineral oil in the country.

At present, the Company has under its umbrella 5 gas fields namely Sylhet (Haripur), Kailashtilla, Rashidpur, Beanibazar and Chhatak with 13 producing gas wells. A condensate fractionation plant at Rashidpur has been installed and started production from 01 August, 2009.

Fractionation plants having capacity 3750 barrel per day installed at Rashidpur to produce motor spirit, octane, diesel and kerosene.

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