Gas supply situation has slightly improved as production resumed at one of the two affected process trains at the Bibiyana gas field. Both the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources and the Chevron Bangladesh have confirmed the improvement in the gas production and supply levels. According to a release of the ministry, the gas production at the Chevron gas field has increased to 1010 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) which had gone below 800 MMCFD following the technical fault at the process system. Also read: Gas crisis persists as Bibiyana field yet to resume full production It is expected that the production at the gas field will reach 1100 MMCFD by Tuesday evening against its actual capacity 1200 MMCFD, said the ministry. “After the relentless work of our experienced engineers, we are slowly beginning to overcome the crisis”, it said, adding that different areas had to experience gas shortage due to the emergency repair works at the Bibiyana gas field following a technical glitch. The ministry expressed its gratitude to its gas consumers for their patience during the crisis period. Meanwhile, Chevron Bangladesh in a separate statement said  it is making progress in returning the Bibiyana Gas Plant to full capacity, with production at one of the two process trains affected at the plant and four wells in the field already resumed. The plant is running at a reduced rate after suspension of operations at two of its five trains and six production wells in the field on April 3 following the discovery of some technical anomalies. Safety of workers, nearby communities and protection of the environment are top priorities for teams working to bring the second train and all remaining wells back online. The cause of the unplanned shutdown will be investigated.

As a part of its ongoing annual program for financially disadvantaged and meritorious students, Chevron Bangladesh has awarded scholarships to783 students from 23 educational institutions near the areas of its three gas fields—Bibiyana, Jalalabad and Moulavi Bazar. According to a Chevron release, about 64 percent of the scholarship recipients are female while 55 scholarships are for students who achieved excellent grades in the 2021 Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams. Read: Study in Australia: Scholarship Opportunities for Bangladeshi Students The average pass rate of Chevron’s scholarship recipients in the 2021 SSC exams was cent percent, compared to the national and Sylhet division averages of 94 percent and 97 percent respectively. Chevron Bangladesh started the scholarship program with only a small handful of educational institutions nearly two decades ago. Aside from helping students’ overall academic performance, the company’s quality education support initiative also aims to improve the learning environment of schools near its three gas fields. Read: 2,000 students receive ‘Muktijoddha Scholarship’ In addition to scholarships, Chevron support is provided in the form of additional teaching, computer labs, coaching support and endowment fund for selected schools, school uniforms, sports equipment, furniture, infrastructure, sanitation facilities and potable water. As a part of the corporate social responsibility initiatives, Chevron seeks to promote long-term human progress through its global social investment areas of focus: economic development, education, and health. Chevron, the US-based company, operates and holds a 100 percent interest in two onshore production sharing contracts (PSCs) in Bangladesh covering Block 12 (Bibiyana Field) and Blocks 13 and 14 (Jalalabad and Moulavi Bazar fields).

To strengthen the skill ecosystem in the shipmaking industry, Swisscontact Bangladesh has inked a pact with Khulna Shipyard (KSY) for providing state-of-the-art welding training to youths under its ambitious Uttoron project. Upgrading a government training institute -- Technical Training Center (TTC) operated by KSY in this case -- to introduce this much-needed skill is one of Uttoron’s three main objectives, according to Chevron’s Bangladesh Partnership Initiative which provides funding for the project. Read:Chevron provides Covid-19 support to community hospitals With its existing available training courses not internationally standardised, Bangladesh is currently lagging behind in the global employment market. Therefore, this project seeks to mitigate the demand for 3G and 4G level welding training, both at home and abroad. The event took place at a city hotel attended by the Managing Director of KSY, Commodore M Zakirul Islam; President of Chevron Bangladesh Eric M Walker; Director (PSC) of Petrobangla, Md Shaheenur Islam; Director of Corporate Affairs at Chevron Bangladesh, Md Imrul Kabir; and Country Director of Swisscontact, Mujibul Hasan. Expressing his gratitude to Chevron and Swisscontact for embarking on this important initiative, KSY’s Commodore Islam said, “I’d like to thank Chevron and Swisscontact for taking us on as their partner for this very crucial initiative. We have enough people, but not enough skilled people." Read: Chevron extends support for setting up training institute in Sylhet "We are working to develop our human resources. We want a skilled population that can increase production and contribute to our economy. We are proud to be part of a programme funded by Chevron and implemented by Swisscontact that can build a skilled workforce, who can, in turn, make a lasting contribution to Bangladesh.” Chevron Bangladesh President Eric M Walker said, “The blending of skills, technical oversight and organisational capabilities of these two stellar organisations will fulfill the cornerstones of this programme -- sustainability beyond its lifespan, accessibility to market-driven, demand-driven vocational skills, and potential for future growth.” Read:Three shipyards fined for violating environment rules Director of Petrobangla, Md Shaheenur said, “Chevron’s Bangladesh Partnership Initiative (BPI) is playing a vital role in improving the socio-economic condition of Bangladesh.” Bangladesh currently has an economically active population of 63.4 million people, with a labour force which is growing at a rate of 1.3 million every year. Some 60.7 million are employed, indicating joblessness which has been exacerbated by Covid.

Chevron Bangladesh, as part of its annual social investment efforts, recently provided materials such as hand-pumps, pipes and filters, for 80 deep and shallow tube-wells to ensure supply of safe drinking water to people living near its operational areas.

Eric M. Walker has been appointed as the new President of Chevron Bangladesh.