Govt move to boost gas production

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FHM Humayan Kabir
The government has taken a "first track" scheme to augment gas production by 120 million cubic feet per day over the next two years from the country's largest Titas field in order to overcome the prevailing energy supply crunch, officials said.
State-owned gas producer Bangladesh Gas Field Company Ltd (BGFCL) will spend Tk 10 billion to develop four wells for producing the additional gas and also check seepage in five wells of the Titas field, the company officials said.
Titas gas field in Brahmanbaria district is the largest in the country with its reserve of 5.13 trillion cubic feet (TCF) and second largest gas producing field supplying 420mmcf of gas per day from its 14 operative wells.
"Under a first track scheme, we have sought project approval of the executive committee of the national economic council (ECNEC) before starting the development works," a senior BGFCL official told the FE Friday.
He said if the four wells are developed, additional 120-mmcf of gas per day will be added to the national grid within two years.
The official said they will also appoint an international firm to control the gas leakage in the field and repair five vulnerable wells there in a bid to ensure secured gas production for long.
The company has already invited tender to hire an international firm to plug the leakage that started from well no. 3 of the gas field in 2006.
Geologists assume the Titas field has been losing one to five mmcf of gas per day because of the leakage since 2006.
In early 2008, BGFCL spent $10.2 million for sealing the troubled well no. 3 to stop gas leakage, but it failed to achieve the desired result.
"It is good news that the Asian Development Bank has assured us of providing nearly $120 million fund for implementing the first track project," the BGFCL official said.
The official said: "We will start development works at Titas from next year as the country is heading towards severe gas crisis from 2013. We hope to raise total production to over 550mmcf per day by 2012 as the gas pressure in the field is still encouraging."
The present gas flow pressure of the Titas Field is 1900 PSI against its initial pressure of 3,300 PSI 39 years back.
"Under the project we will also ascertain the present reserve of the country's largest gas field. The survey will help us undertake future development plan," the BGFCL official said.
BGFCL is the largest gas production company in the public sector, as it produces nearly 730mmcf of gas per day from its five fields-Titas, Habiganj, Bakhrabad, Narshingdi and Meghna.
Present gas production capacity of 79 gas wells of all the government and foreign energy company owned fields is about 1950 mmcf per day, leaving over 200mmcf shortfall.
Due to sever gas supply crunch, the government has already stopped new gas connections to the bulk and domestic customers in some areas in the country.