Chevron expects Jalalabad to contain bigger gas reserve
Saturday, 10 April 2010
FHM Humayan Kabir
Chevron will conduct an extensive seismic survey in new areas in the Jalalabad gas field later this year after fresh reports indicate that the field has bigger-than-estimated hydrocarbon reserve, government officials said.
The US-based energy giant would sign a deal with state-owned Petrobangla this month to get the formal clearance to carry out a three-dimensional survey needed to determine the size of the new gas reserve.
"Chevron has told us that the Jalalabad field may have bigger gas reserve," a senior Petrobangla official told the FE.
He said since 1999, when Chevron started lifting hydrocarbon from the Jalalabad field, it never experienced fall in gas pressure - a clear indication that "the gas structure at the field is far bigger than its initial estimate."
"The company last year was granted some 75 square kilometers of new land adjoining the field to conduct seismic survey and we'll sign a deal with the company this month to facilitate the survey," he added.
At present Jalalabad pumps out 153 million cubic feet of natural gas a day, making it the country's fourth largest producer. Chevron has lifted more than half of the field's estimated 830-billion cubic feet recoverable gas reserve.
Discovery of new reserve at the field would boost Bangladesh's energy security at a time when the country has been witnessing its worst ever fuel crunch.
Demand for gas has shot up to some 2500 mcf a day but the country's 18 operating fields can supply only around 1950 mcf daily. The shortfall has affected manufacturing sector, reduced power production and dried up fresh investment.
Chevron's Bangladesh chief Steve Wilson last week told reporters that all three of its operated gas fields might have larger reserve than the estimates made in the 1990s.
The company last year officially declared that its Bibiyana gas field contained at least two trillion cubic feet of recoverable extra gas, making it the country's largest field.
Bibiyana already supplies some 710 mcf gas a day and the increased reserve estimate would enable the Chevron to scale up supply by an additional 500 mcf.
Wilson said the data collected from the 3D survey it conducted on Moulvibazar field also hinted that its reserve was significantly larger than it was expected.
"We believe, the same will happen to Jalalabad gas field as well. The field must be bigger than expected," he told reporters.
Chevron will conduct an extensive seismic survey in new areas in the Jalalabad gas field later this year after fresh reports indicate that the field has bigger-than-estimated hydrocarbon reserve, government officials said.
The US-based energy giant would sign a deal with state-owned Petrobangla this month to get the formal clearance to carry out a three-dimensional survey needed to determine the size of the new gas reserve.
"Chevron has told us that the Jalalabad field may have bigger gas reserve," a senior Petrobangla official told the FE.
He said since 1999, when Chevron started lifting hydrocarbon from the Jalalabad field, it never experienced fall in gas pressure - a clear indication that "the gas structure at the field is far bigger than its initial estimate."
"The company last year was granted some 75 square kilometers of new land adjoining the field to conduct seismic survey and we'll sign a deal with the company this month to facilitate the survey," he added.
At present Jalalabad pumps out 153 million cubic feet of natural gas a day, making it the country's fourth largest producer. Chevron has lifted more than half of the field's estimated 830-billion cubic feet recoverable gas reserve.
Discovery of new reserve at the field would boost Bangladesh's energy security at a time when the country has been witnessing its worst ever fuel crunch.
Demand for gas has shot up to some 2500 mcf a day but the country's 18 operating fields can supply only around 1950 mcf daily. The shortfall has affected manufacturing sector, reduced power production and dried up fresh investment.
Chevron's Bangladesh chief Steve Wilson last week told reporters that all three of its operated gas fields might have larger reserve than the estimates made in the 1990s.
The company last year officially declared that its Bibiyana gas field contained at least two trillion cubic feet of recoverable extra gas, making it the country's largest field.
Bibiyana already supplies some 710 mcf gas a day and the increased reserve estimate would enable the Chevron to scale up supply by an additional 500 mcf.
Wilson said the data collected from the 3D survey it conducted on Moulvibazar field also hinted that its reserve was significantly larger than it was expected.
"We believe, the same will happen to Jalalabad gas field as well. The field must be bigger than expected," he told reporters.