State-owned exploration company BAPEX has discovered a new gas zone adjoining the currently- producing Salda gas field in Brahmanbaria, officials say, at a time of fuel crunch.
The Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Ltd or BAPEX spotted the new gas turf after drilling a workover- cum- additional drilling of Salda-2 well, which will ramp up Salda field's overall output threefold to around 7.50 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), say sources.
Currently two producing gas wells in Salda gas field - Salda-3 and Salda-4 - are producing around 2.5mmcfd gas in total.
Bangladesh is set to get the new gas of around 5.0mmcfd connected to national gas grid within next couple of weeks, they hope.
The new gas deposit has been found in a further 120-meter depth of the Salda-1 well, which had produced natural gas to the tune of around 15-20mmcfd for over 13 years before suspension of production in 2012.
Explores from the BAPEX detected the reservoir in the depth of 2,525 to 2,545 metres, bringing a ray of hope when the entire world feels the heat of overheating fuel market and Bangladesh pays dearly for LNG import.
Some Tk 100 million was spent from BAPEX's revenue to discover the new gas zone.
The new gas would save foreign currency worth Tk 17.50 million per day and Tk 6.22 billion when taken into account the cost of imported LNG (liquefied natural gas) from spot market at US$44 per million British thermal unit (MMBTU).
The Salda gas field was discovered by BAPEX in 1996.
Previously in August 2021, the government announced commercial discovery of the country's 28th gas field in Jakiganj in the country's gas-rich Sylhet region.The BAPEX discovered the field after drilling.
The Jakiganj gas field has the potential to produce around 10mmcfd natural gas and has a recoverable gas reserve of around 48 billion cubic feet. Earlier in October 2017, the national oil-and gas-exploration company discovered Bhola gas field. In June 2014, the BAPEX discovered Rupganj gas field and in July 2012 it struck new gas deposit at Srikail, some 100 km off the capital, Dhaka.
Contacted, energy expert Prof M Tamim was upbeat about the discovery of new gas zone in the Salda gas field at this trying time.
"The government should expedite oil-and gas-exploration activities in a massive way to ensure more natural gas output," says M Tamim, who was the special assistant of a former caretaker government.
"Exploring hydrocarbons locally will save foreign currency through reducing the import of expensive LNG," he adds.
Country's overall natural gas output is currently hovering around 2095 mmcfd, including re-gasified imported LNG of around 501mmcfd, as on April 2, 2022.
Of the total natural gas output, Bapex is supplying around 142mmcfd from its eight operating gas fields against their cumulative production capacity of 145mmcfd gas.
Azizjst@yahoo.com
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