The energy ministry has decided to conduct extensive seismic surveys in five large state-owned operational gas fields expecting to find higher reserves of natural gas than the initial estimations, officials said.
The fields - Titas, Bakhrabad, Habiganj, Rashidpura and Kailashtila - were discovered about four decades ago during 1960s and no seismic survey was conducted extensively to trace their actual reserves, Petrobangla officials said.
They said based on the initial reserve estimation these fields had gas reserves amounting to 11.42 trillion cubic feet Tcf and after decades of consumption the net remaining recoverable gas reserves as on June 2007 in those fields stood at around 7.70 Tcf.
"But gas reserves in these fields might prove to be significantly more after a 3D seismic survey," Chief Adviser's special assistant professor M Tamim told the FE.
The nature of these gas fields and their existing pressure indicates that these fields might have significantly more gas reserves than their initial estimations, he said.
He said Petrobangla has already been asked to arrange for 3D seismic surveys in these fields to ascertain their actual gas reserves, which would help to formulate the country's future strategy regarding gas use.
The five gas fields are now producing 820 million cubic feet (mmcf) natural gas daily, almost half of the country's current total daily gas production of 1780 mmcf, said the Petrobangla official.
The 3D surveys in these gas fields would help determine the potential gas reserves, said Petrobangla director Major (retd) Md Muqtadir Ali.
Titas is the largest gas-producing field among these five fields, which is now supplying around 393 mmcfd, followed by Habiganj around 241 mmcfd, Kailashtila 98 mmcfd, Rashidpur 51 mmcfd and Bakhrabad 32 mmcfd.
Energy ministry sources said the recent conduction of 3D seismic surveys by a number of international oil companies (IOCs) and their subsequent good results has prompted the energy ministry to conduct such survey to determine their actual reserves.
The mounting gas demand across the country and the government's failure to supply adequate gas to industries and power plants also prompted the government to search for additional gas reserves for future needs.
Among the IOCs the US-based Chevron recently conducted 3D seismic survey in block 12 around Lawachhara national forest, French Total also conducted 3D surveys in blocks 17 and 18.
Though their survey results are yet to be revealed the IOCs are confident about a positive outcome, said a senior Petrobangla official.
Energy ministry said the country would need additional reserves of 24 TCF in the next 17 years up to 2025 to keep the present momentum of industrialisation going.
The country's proven reserve of 8.39 TCF gas is set to exhaust by 2011.
If proven and probable reserves of around 14.4 TCF are taken together, the country's gas stock will be emptied by 2015, the ministry pointed out.
After 2015, the country will require to tap new reserves to meet the growing demand.
To ensure the availability of gas to meet the future demand, the country has to intensify exploration activities by 2010, the ministry recommended in its recent report placed to the Chief Adviser's office.
Higher reserve expected in five gas fields after 3D seismic survey
M Azizur Rahman | Published: August 18, 2008 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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