The discovery of new gas reserves is undoubtedly a good news for the nation as it will help boost the country’s industrial and electricity production. State-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (Bapex) has found new gas reserves in well No-8 of Kailashtila Gas Field in the country’s gas-rich Sylhet region.
With the new discovery, gas has been found in four wells of Sylhet in the last seven months. Since January last year, Bapex started digging well no-8 of Kailashtila Gas Field.
Gas has been found at a depth of 3,440 to 55,000 feet and now 21 million cubic feet of gas is being extracted daily from the field on an experimental basis. Bapex officials hope that they would be able to go into operation in full swing within next three months.
According to officials concerned, the SGFL authorities have been continuing the exploration and drilling of wells in Sylhet since last year. As a part of that, the excavation work in Kailashtila well no-8 started in early 2023 spending about Tk 150 crore. About 100 million cubic feet of gas is now being added to the national grid from production wells of Sylhet Gas Field Limited.
Gas has been found at a depth
of 3,440 to 55,000 feet
The country has now a stock of some 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The country’s stock of gas reserves will be exhausted in 10 years at the current rate of production, according to energy ministry.
The fresh discovery of gas reserves will play a crucial role in meeting the demand as reserve of natural gas is declining gradually.
We appreciate the Bapex that is accelerating the oil and gas exploration and production activities in the country. According to the government’s power system master plan, Bangladesh will require 3,150 mmcfd of gas per day for power generation in 2041.
But the country’s overall natural gas output is currently hovering around 2,700 mmcfd including re-gasified imported LNG to the tune of around 450 mmcfd. As per the plan, Bapex took an initiative to dig two wells to explore for gas between 2019 and 2021, 13 wells between 2022 and 2030 and 20 wells between 2031 and 2041.
The government will have to continue its efforts to turn Bapex into an international standard one in gas exploration, extraction and production. Bapex’s capacity will also have to be strengthened and enhanced in a planned way. The state-run organisation needs to be modernised in gas production, drilling, workover, rig scheduling, exploration (geophysical and geological), organisational structure and manpower recruitment.
If the Bapex is strengthened, Bangladesh would not have to depend on foreign companies to invite them for oil and gas exploration in the country.
