Oil exploration: Lanka eyes experienced companies

Mohammed RASOOLDEEN in Saudi Arabia

Sri Lanka has called for bids for oil exploration from oil companies that have experience in the field, Petroleum and Petroleum Resources Minister A.H.M. Fowzie on transit at the King Khalid International Airport told Daily News.

Fowzie who was enroute to the Sixth Doha Conference on Natural Gas, came to the Kingdom to perform Umrah and visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. The Minister said the bids for this tender will close in January 2008.

“We want to get the right party to carry out the exploration since the seismic survey carried out in 2002 had indicated that the Mannar Basin could produce 1 billion barrels,” Fowzie said. Mannar Basin covers an area of 35,000 km, stretching from Mannar to Kalutara.

The Minister said his ministry had given adequate publicity to pick the best oil explorer among the applicants.

“We have conducted road shows in Houston, London and Kuala Lumpur where more than 200 companies have evinced interest in participating in the programme.”

He said plans are underway to conduct another seismic survey in the South to check the availability of oil in the deep seas near Hambantota.

Fowzie who is also the Minister-in-charge of Haj Affairs said around 5,500 pilgrims are expected to come for pilgrimage this year. He added that a special cell to help the pilgrims to obtain travel documents without hassles, has been opened in Colombo by the Government.

The Hajis will come through a network of 67 travel operators who have experience in the pilgrimage services, he added.

Considering the large number of applicants for the pilgrimage, Fowzie said this year priority will be given to the first timers and to applicants who are above 40 years. He said the Saudi Embassy in Colombo is assisting the Department of Islamic Affairs in the issuance of Haj visas to the pilgrims selected for Haj this year.

On complaints received by his Ministry, he said four travel operators were blacklisted since they violated the Government’s Haj regulations and had caused untold hardships to some of the pilgrims who came last year.

He said the Department of Islamic Affairs in Colombo, will conduct orientation programmes for the intended pilgrims to tell them of the do’s and don’ts during their stay in the two holy cities.

“It would cover, personal hygiene, food habits, general cleanliness and pilgrims cooperation with the Saudi authorities while performing Haj rituals.”

A.L.M.Lafeer. Sri Lanka’s consul general in Jeddah told the Daily News that the minister met Adnan Al-Hathim, chairman of Board of Management for South Asian Haj Establishment for Haj Affairs in Makkah yesterday.

The meeting held in Makkah focused mainly on accommodation for pilgrims and their mobilisation from Makkah to Mina and then to Madinah. In Riyadh, the minister was met by W.S.M.S. Wijesundera, charge d’ affaires of the Sri Lankan Embassy here.