Myanmar has not accepted a request to sell gas to Bangladesh to help the country meet its growing energy crisis, saying India and China are its top priorities.
Bangladesh's foreign secretary made the request during a visit Myanmar in February as said by M. Tamim, special assistant to the chief adviser.
The Myanmar delegates said they would sell their gas to India and China but cannot export gas to Bangladesh at the moment and will consider selling gas to Bangladesh only after new discoveries are made.
The decision is a blow to Bangladesh which faces a daily shortage of at least 100 million cubic feet (three million cubic metres) of gas. It needs the fuel to help feed its economy which expanded by a strong 6.6 percent in the last financial year to June 2007.
The energy shortage would become acute after 2009 if new gas finds are not made, special assistant to the chief adviser, Tamim added.
Bangladesh has daily demand for 1,800 million cubic feet of gas but the country's 23 gas fields can provide only 1,700 million cubic feet as lack of investment in new exploration since late 1990s has outstripped supply.
The government has already invited bids from foreign oil companies to explore for gas and oil in the hydrocarbon-rich Bay of Bengal.
Bangladesh has proven recoverable gas reserves of 14 trillion cubic feet according to the latest survey. The reserves are expected to last until 2022 if no new discovery is made.
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