Experts have disclosed that there are possibilities of finding an estimated 1.9 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas from 3 wells in Cox’s Bazar.
They also said that the current gas crisis could be overwhelmed if the gas from all3 wells in Moheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar could be extracted on time.
According to data submitted by Indian energy companies working in Bangladesh (state-owned ONGC Videsh Ltd and Oil India Ltd), to Petrobangla, 1.9 TCF (Trillion Cubic Feet) of gas could be found by digging three wells in the shallow sea. The two companies are drilling in the Bay of Bengal under Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs), which was started on September 29 last.
The three wells are - Kanchon-1, Maitri-1 and Pitli-1. Kanchan -1 made substantial progress in the drilling and finding the possible gas reserves while Maitri-1 and Pitli-1 wells await an account on the final gas reserves.
Md. Shaheenur Islam, Director (Production Sharing Contract) of Petrobangla on Monday told Bangladesh Post there is a possibility of getting gas in three layers according to its structure. However, it takes a total of six months, including three months for ensuring the presence of gas and three more months to determine commercial viability.
Bapex Managing Director Mohammad Ali said, “The design of the well is being done at a depth of 4,200 meters. It has a high-pressure area at a depth of 3,400 meters. A total of three wells will be dug here.”
Sources said that usually the digging work can be done from September to April as the sea remains rough in other months. For the rest of the year, storms make it difficult to drill oil and gas exploration wells.
As per the PSC contract obligation, contractors will survey and drill the blocks at their own cost, and they will meet 55 percent of their expenses each year from gas sales.
Petrobangla will own a minimum of 60 percent and a maximum of 85 percent of the recoverable gas, and a minimum of 70 percent and maximum 90 percent of the recoverable oil from the block.
Energy expert Professor Izaj Hossain told Bangladesh Post, “the drilling work was supposed to start long ago. Although late, it is good news for us. However, it is necessary to drill at least 10 such wells in the Bay of Bengal every year. Then we get a clear idea there. Besides, a multi-client survey should be done as soon as possible to get an accurate idea of the number of mineral resources in the whole ocean. This is very necessary for us.”
“To meet the domestic demand, Bangladesh is importing costly LNG from the international market. If the country finds sufficient reserves in the Bay, it can help overcome the current crisis and save a huge amount of money,” he said.
Currently, the country’s natural gas output is hovering on around 3,100 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), of which 600-700 mmcfd is regasified imported LNG. However, the gas demand is more than 4,000mmcf. The entire local production comes from onshore gas fields.
In Bangladesh, natural gas was discovered in a belt stretching from the country's northeast and east to the southeast and southern parts.
In the past, Sangu was the lone oil sea-based field from which gas was extracted. British oil-gas company, Cairn Energy, discovered it in 1996 and started to produce gas in 1998. The reserve here was exhausted and was abandoned in 2013. But energy experts believe that if gas was lifted following the rules, it could get more gas from Sangu.
