Four wells in Salda, Fenchuganj gas fields to be developed

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FE Report
The government would develop four wells in Salda and Fenchuganj gas fields to produce nearly 70 million cubic feet (mcf) of gas per day from next year to feed the energy-based industrial concerns in Chittagong belt, officials said Tuesday.
The government's highest project approval body ECNEC (executive committee of the national economic council) Tuesday endorsed Tk3.06 billion gas field development project to boost the country's poor gas supply capacity.
Presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the ECNEC also approved 400-kilovolt Bibiyana-Kaliakor and 230kv Fenchuganj-Bibiyana power transmission lines project to be implemented at a cost of Tk17.21 billion to supply additional power from the greater Sylhet region.
The state-owned power grid company of Bangladesh (PGCB) will install 168-kilometre-long 400-kilovolt (kv) Bibiyana to Kaliakor power transmission line and another 38-kilometre-long 230kv Fenchuganj to Bibiyana grid by 2013 at a cost of Tk17.21 billion.
The sate-run Petrobangla said its energy exploration company BAPEX would drill two wells in Salda and two wells in Fenchuganj gas fields to produce nearly 70 mcf of gas per day.
"We are expecting 40 mcf additional gas from two wells in the operative Fenchuganj field and 30 to 35 mcf from the existing Salda gas field by 2011," General Manager of the state-owned BAPEX Amzad Hossain told the FE.
He said we would start drilling from November-December period in the existing Salda and Fenchuganj gas fields to add additional gas to the national grid.
The BAPEX-owned Salda field is now producing 7.2mcf of gas from its existing two wells and the Fenchuganj gas field 23mcf from its operative two wells.
Bangladesh government has taken adequate steps to boost its energy production as the country is now facing more than 200 mcf of gas shortage everyday due to growing demands.
Three state-owned gas production companies and four foreign companies are now producing nearly 2000mcf of gas a day against the demand for over 2200mcf per day.
Planning commission official said the ECNEC also approved five other projects in railway, education, energy and agriculture sectors Tuesday at a total cost of Tk32.14 billion.
Among the five projects, the primary and mass education department will set up 1500 new primary schools across the country at a cost of Tk7.38 billion.