When the energy crisis is going on all over the world, Bangladesh discovered huge reserves of gas. Some new wells are estimated to have production capacity of around 55 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd).
The discovery was made through development and workover of some potential existing domestic wells.
Meanwhile, some 35mm cfd gas has already been added to national grid and rest amount of amount of gas will be added to the national grid soon. Besides, more 217mm cfd gas from 15 wells are likely to added by next year, an Energy and Mineral Resources Division official hoped.
Experts said that gas exploration is showing new potential amid the crisis. Exploration of more abandoned wells and discovery of new fields will help overcome the crisis.
The government has taken various plans to ensure energy security by increasing its domestic production. To this end, Petrobangla plans to drill a total of 46 exploration, development and workover wells during the period 2022-2025.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said, "The government is doing whatever it takes to protect energy security. We are working to further integrate energy security in the future.”
Nasrul said “We are giving utmost importance to domestic energy exploration and production. By 2025, we will drill 46 more wells. It is expected that more than 618 million cubic feet of gas per day will be produced from these wells.”
On November 28, some Eight million cubic feet of gas per day capacity of has been added to the national grid from an abandoned well in Sylhet's Biyanibazar. There is a gas reserve of more than 70 billion cubic feet at a depth of 3,254 meters. In two wells together, there are are reserves of around 100 billion cubic feet of gas in Biyanibazar field.
Earlier, 239 BCF of gas was found in the Tobgi-1 exploration well at Bhola on November 3. After drilling the exploratory well, the energy division said that gas can be extracted at the rate of 20 million cubic feet per day from Tobgi-1 well. Petrobangla will be able to extract gas from the well in the next 30-35 years.
Recently, two new gas fields - named Srikail East-1 and Jokiganj-1 were discovered. Besides, five million cubic feet of gas per day is being produced from an abandoned well at Salda gas field. On the other hand, Sylhet-9 well drilling has been completed and commercially extractable gas has been found. Besides, the drilling work of five wells are ongoing. Workover of six wells has already completed.
State-owned Sylhet Gas Fields Limited (SGFL) has officially started supplying about 19 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcfd) to the national grid from last May. The supply comes from well no 7 of the Kailash Tila gas field, declared abandoned earlier.
Besides, around 80 million cubic feet of gas per day will be shipped from the Bhola gas field and added to the national grid very soon. Along with this, there is a possibility to find about a well which could produce around 10 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcfd) in Shariatpur district.
Also, drafting of a new Production Sharing Contract (PSC) to strengthen offshore exploration is nearing completion. Fresh tenders will be invited for gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal early next year.
Energy expert Professor Badrul Imam said that the country is running out of gas, this information is not correct. He said, "At least three international studies say that our country still has 34 TCF of gas reserve is there." He called for strengthening the exploration of gas onshore of Bangladesh.
