BAPEX poorly maintains imported explosives worth Tk1.5cr

Because of improper maintenance, lack of supervision and poor internal management, expensive explosives worth Tk 1.50 crore are being wasted at Raozan of Chattogram.

The mismanagement at the explosive depot is also posing threats to the surrounding environment and locals.

A recent audit report (Audit Inspection Report – AIR) of 2019-20 Fiscal Year of the Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (BAPEX) noted the matter.

The auditing body, the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh, recommends identifying those involved in the irregularities, and taking departmental actions. Also, the audit body termed the irregularities as ‘serious financial irregularities.’

Meanwhile, the auditors did not accept BAPEX's response to these matters.

According to the audit report, explosives worth Tk 14,536,038 were imported by opening a letter of credit (LC) during 2019-20 FY to carry out two and three-dimensional geological survey tests. But the explosives are being wasted for the lack of proper maintenance at the BAPEX warehouse.

The audit also says that BAPEX is a gas and oil exploration company under the Energy and Mineral Resources Division of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, and governed by Petrobangla.surveys are conducted through 2D and 3D seismic tests for exploring gas and fuel oil. The imported explosives – stored in a scattered manner at the regional warehouse of Raozan in Chattogram - are expensive. The way they are stored is hazardous.

When the inspection team asked the local authorities about their carelessness while preserving the explosives, they said the director of the 2D and 3D projects grab some explosives when needed and leave the rest scattered.

The regional office told the audit team that a committee was formed to assess the expenses of packing and repacking of the cluttered explosives. Once, the repacking would be done, the explosives would pose no threats.

BAPEX also informed the audit team that the 3D Seismic Project of BAPEX ended on November 30 in 2019. Besides, the fieldwork of the Vision 9: 2D Seismic Project was suspended as the Covid-19 pandemic reigned in.

Once the projects are revived, there would be no more explosives. Those will be used in the fields for gas and oil exploration.

BAPEX clarified that the explosives were kept in plastic packets in secured boxes. They do not pose risks to the environment and the public as they do not come into direct contact with air.

BAPEX also informed the audit team that in collaboration with Bangladesh Army, unused explosives are destroyed safely.