BAPEX asked to look for gas in Mobarakpur field

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FHM Humayan Kabir
The government's highest policy-making body has asked the state-owned energy exploration company BAPEX to look for gas and oil reserve in prospective Mobarakpur field, officials said Thursday.
"The Prime Minister has directed BAPEX to start further exploration works this year by procuring drilling rig, if necessary, to quicken gas field development and production," a planning ministry official told the FE.
The directive came when the state-owned energy exploration company sought permission from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) Thursday to go for further exploration works at Mobarakpur in Pabna.
"At the ECNEC meeting, the Prime Minister asked the BAPEX not to make delay in their exploration works. She has instructed it to start the work within this year hiring the drilling rig if needed," the official said.
While giving approval to the Mobarakpur project in June 2006, the ECNEC asked the BAPEX to obtain clearance for conducting further exploration works at the Mobarakpur field only on confirmation of hydrocarbon presence by the 2D survey.
A BAPEX official said since the ECNEC had allowed them to go for further exploration works they would begin 3D survey and drill exploratory wells as soon as possible to determine the hydrocarbon reserves.
The country's lone petroleum exploration company has a plan to drilling an exploratory well of 4500-meter depth at the Mobarakpur field.
BAPEX has completed the 2-D survey in 160.38-line-kilometre areas at the field last year.
"We have analysed the survey data. Some structures of hydrocarbon have been found in the area, which means there is a presence of oil or gas, or both," he said.
"We are quite satisfied with the data the company acquired through the survey, a Petrobangla official told the FE.