12th GEOSEA 2012, Bangkok, Thailand
Myanmar and Her Thirsty Neighbours U Soe Myint Vice President, Myanmar Geosciences Society
Energy Security is a vital part of the foundation on which a country’s economy rest. Energy Security is less vulnerable if the supply is from domestic market or nearer market or friendly market. Accomplishment of Energy Security is now becoming very much a part of national policy and foreign policy of a country. Myanmar shares common boundaries with China, Lao P.D.R, Thailand, India and Bangladesh. Most of Myanmar‘s neighbouring countries are fast developing countries, their economies growing and their demand for energy getting higher and higher. China, already the second largest economy next to USA is projected to be the largest economy by mid 21st century is recording an annual growth rate of 8% in oil consumption and is planning to increase the contribution of natural gas to her energy mix from 3% to 10 % by 2020. China’s production, consumption and her petroleum reserves are not compatible and China is going all out to acquire additional petroleum reserves from overseas. India, also a fast growing country and predicted to become a third largest economy by mid 21st century (already a fourth largest after USA, China and Japan in 2010) lacks sufficient domestic energy resources and has to import much of its growing energy requirement. Thailand, already an Asian Tiger has to import both crude oil and natural gas to support her growing economy. Thailand imports about 70% of her oil consumption and more than 30% of her natural gas consumption. Thailand‘s energy demand is steadily growing at 5% to 7% per year. Bangladesh consumes all of her natural gas production of 650 billion cubic feet a year for electricity generation and for fertilizer production. It is importing most of 95,000 barrels of oil (Domestic production is only 6,000 barrels a day). With this scenario of energy production/consumption, Bangladesh is projected to have a growth of 3.1% a year of energy demand until 2030. Lao P.D.R has rich coal resources and abundant hydropower resources. It is exporting 36% of coal production and 80% of electricity generation to Thailand. It imports all of its oil consumption. Myanmar’s petroleum prospectively is very high, endowed with a number of sedimentary provinces, underexplored and underexploited. Myanmar still offers lots of
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