No more fresh piped gas connections to households

FE Report | Published: April 06, 2011 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

FE Report
The government has decided not to provide fresh piped gas connections to households to make room for increased supply to industries and power plants in future. "We have decided in principle not to give piped gas connections to households. The use of LPG will be encouraged for households," Energy Secretary Mohammad Mesbah Uddin told newsmen at a press conference Tuesday. Piped gas connections to households remained stalled across the country since July 2010 and to industries since July 2009, to cope with the short supply of natural gas. "Duty on LPG will be reduced and the government may consider providing subsidy for LPG to encourage its consumption," he said. Government will reduce the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and increase the piped gas price to create a balance in costs for household gas uses, Prime Minister's Energy Adviser Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said. Currently Petrobangla supplies 12 per cent gas of its total daily production of around 2,000 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd), while commercial power plants consume 39 per cent, industry, 17 per cent, captive power plants, 16 per cent, fertilizer, 10 per cent, CNG (compressed natural gas), five per cent and commercial consumers and tea-estates, one per cent. Petrobangla Chairman Hussain Monsur said the government is trying hard to enhance gas production through all possible means. The capacity of the country's lone oil and gas exploration company - Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Ltd (Bapex) - has already been strengthened, he said. Government has already purchased a top quality well rig and two more rigs will be procured shortly, he said. Country's overall gas output will be more than double, reaching around 4,570 mmcfd by 2015 from the current level of 2,000 mmcfd, he stated. Speaking on the occasion Mr Tawfiq also said the government is working to ensure the country's future energy security. Apart from the plan to utilise local coal, the government has decided to purchase coal mines abroad, he said. The government will import liquefied natural gas (LNG) to cope with the mounting gas demand, he said. State Minister for Power and Energy Muhammad Enamul Huq said the government is diversifying its fuel sources, in line with its last election manifesto.