Ctg faces worst ever power, gas crisis

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FE Report
Chittagong is experiencing the 'worst ever' power and gas supply crunch as Bangura gas field, the main gas supplier of the port city, is yet to resume supply from its field, sources said.
Irish Tullow suspended gas supply from its Bangura gas field since last week resulting in substantial fall in overall gas supply across the country, especially in Chittagong Port city and its adjoining areas.
Bangura used to supply around 120 million cubic feet gas (mmcfd) per day to the national gas grid most of which were being supplied in the port city.
"We are facing acute power and gas crisis as their supply to Chittagong is dwindling day by day," Senior Vice President of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCCI) Mahbubul Alam told the FE Monday.
He said power outages are rampant with low voltage, while gas supply crunch has become more acute.
Scores of industries in Chittagong are already remained shut for long due to gas supply shortfall.
"We have been suffering a lot since late last year. Our industrial expansion has been halted due to the unforeseen gas crisis," Alam said.
Many industrial units that have already made huge investment in their projects in and around the port city could not start operation due to lack of gas supply.
Together, these plants, including soybean refinery, paper mills, garment and textile plants and CNG filling stations, have invested at least Tk 10 billion and are counting interests every month without going into operation in due time.
Petrobangla officials said gas crisis was Chittagong deepened since last year with the substantial fall in gas production from the country's lone offshore Sangu field.
Sangu's gas production dropped to 35 mmcfd this week, almost one-sixth of its average daily production during 2006.
Gas supply suspension from onshore Bangura gas field last week has aggravated the Chittagong crisis further.
Electricity generation in Raozan and Shikalbaha power plants and production at Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company (Kafco) are being hampered due to the non-availability of gas supply.
Production at Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited (Cufl) has long been stalled along with several other gas-fed fertiliser factories under the government's gas rationing programme.
Apart from Chittagong, the country's overall power and gas supply situation has also aggravated due to gas supply suspension from Bangura field.
Overall electricity generation Monday was around 3,800 megawatt (MW), while gas output was less by around 100 million cubic feet (mmcf) from the month's average of 1980 mmcf.
Electricity generation of over 1000 mw was hampered only due to gas crisis and technical glitch led to generation suspension of around 300 mw of electricity.