BAPEX to start drilling Sunetra gas field in Netrakona next month
Sunday, 17 June 2012
FHM Humayan Kabir
The state-owned energy exploration company BAPEX will start drilling the newly discovered Sunetra gas field in Netrakona from the first week of next month to confirm recoverable reserves there, officials said Saturday.
"We'll start drilling exploratory well from next month. Our drilling rig has already been sent there," Amzad Hossain, General Manager of the Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Ltd (BAPEX) told the FE.
In a successful move, the state-owned energy exploration company found nearly 2.5 trillion cubic feet of gas at the country's potential Sunetra structure through a seismic survey last year.
BAPEX said if the gas is found recoverable, it will meet the country's existing gas demand for about three years or will meet the present supply shortage of 500 million cubic feet a day (mcfd) for about 15 years.
The state-owned company will invest Tk 90 million for drilling work. The fund is expected to be allocated from the newly created "Gas Development Fund" (GDF) of the government.
Amzad Hossain said they will drill at a depth of 3800 metres in the potential Sunetra gas field to confirm the actual reserve and its recoverable amount.
"We are hopeful of completing the drilling by October this year. Then we will start well development work for extracting gas from the structure," he said.
A Petrobangla official said: "Initially we are expecting 30 to 40 mcfd of gas from the newly discovered gas field in Netrakona district from next year".
The gas will help meet nearly 500mcfd of gas shortage in the country, he added.
The Sunetra will be one of the biggest discoveries by BAPEX.
BAPEX had found fresh reserves of oil in May this year at Kailashtila and Haripur gas fields in Sylhet.
According to primary estimation, the reserves have a combined 137 million barrels of oil of which about 55 billion barrels can be extracted a year, Petrobangla said.
The current market value of new oil has been estimated at Tk 420 billion to Tk 450 billion.
The state-owned energy exploration and production company is also working to extract gas from Salda, Srikail, Mobarakpur, Semutang, Titas, Fenchuganj and Kailastila fields.
BAPEX has prepared a 20-year roadmap to explore oil and gas in 74 exploratory and development wells in 23 onshore block structures in the country.
According to the roadmap, BAPEX would drill 13 exploratory wells between 2011 and 2015. By this time, it will drill four exploratory wells at Sunetra.
The government has created Gas Development Fund to facilitate the gas and oil exploration and production by the BAPEX to meet the country's growing energy demand.
Country's all the existing gas fields supply nearly 2000mcfd of gas against the demand for over 2500mcfd.
The state-owned energy exploration company BAPEX will start drilling the newly discovered Sunetra gas field in Netrakona from the first week of next month to confirm recoverable reserves there, officials said Saturday.
"We'll start drilling exploratory well from next month. Our drilling rig has already been sent there," Amzad Hossain, General Manager of the Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Ltd (BAPEX) told the FE.
In a successful move, the state-owned energy exploration company found nearly 2.5 trillion cubic feet of gas at the country's potential Sunetra structure through a seismic survey last year.
BAPEX said if the gas is found recoverable, it will meet the country's existing gas demand for about three years or will meet the present supply shortage of 500 million cubic feet a day (mcfd) for about 15 years.
The state-owned company will invest Tk 90 million for drilling work. The fund is expected to be allocated from the newly created "Gas Development Fund" (GDF) of the government.
Amzad Hossain said they will drill at a depth of 3800 metres in the potential Sunetra gas field to confirm the actual reserve and its recoverable amount.
"We are hopeful of completing the drilling by October this year. Then we will start well development work for extracting gas from the structure," he said.
A Petrobangla official said: "Initially we are expecting 30 to 40 mcfd of gas from the newly discovered gas field in Netrakona district from next year".
The gas will help meet nearly 500mcfd of gas shortage in the country, he added.
The Sunetra will be one of the biggest discoveries by BAPEX.
BAPEX had found fresh reserves of oil in May this year at Kailashtila and Haripur gas fields in Sylhet.
According to primary estimation, the reserves have a combined 137 million barrels of oil of which about 55 billion barrels can be extracted a year, Petrobangla said.
The current market value of new oil has been estimated at Tk 420 billion to Tk 450 billion.
The state-owned energy exploration and production company is also working to extract gas from Salda, Srikail, Mobarakpur, Semutang, Titas, Fenchuganj and Kailastila fields.
BAPEX has prepared a 20-year roadmap to explore oil and gas in 74 exploratory and development wells in 23 onshore block structures in the country.
According to the roadmap, BAPEX would drill 13 exploratory wells between 2011 and 2015. By this time, it will drill four exploratory wells at Sunetra.
The government has created Gas Development Fund to facilitate the gas and oil exploration and production by the BAPEX to meet the country's growing energy demand.
Country's all the existing gas fields supply nearly 2000mcfd of gas against the demand for over 2500mcfd.