Bapex finds gas presence at Jamalganj well

Fresh natural gas has been found in a well at Jamalganj of Madarganj Upazilla in Jamalpur district, an official of Bapex said on Sunday.

"Bapex (Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company) discovered the presence of gas at Madarganj, Jamalpur during preliminary tests," Mohammad Mozammel Hoque, Drilling Superintendent and project director of Jamalpur-1 exploration well project, told BSS.

He said the gas was found Saturday night after drilling 2,600 metres, adding: "Now the Drill Stem Testing (DST) is underway. The amount of gas will be known after various tests."

Haque said the gas is currently being released at a pressure of 7.2 million Pascal.

However, the exact reserve of gas will be known after monitoring and testing over the next 15 days.

He said that gas is being released from different lair of the soil.

According to Bapex, the state-run Bapex found presence of gas in the seismic data at Tartapara village of Madarganj upazila in Jamalpur in 1980.

In the fiscal year 2014-15, seismic data was collected and in fiscal year 2015-16, a close grid seismic survey was conducted.

Later authorities started drilling at the Jamalganj-1 exploration well on January 24 after analyzing the data, it said.