Chevron finds gas in Patuakhali
Saturday, 12 December 2009
FHM Humayan Kabir
The US oil company Chevron has detected the presence of natural gas reserve in the southern Patukhali district in a major boost to the country's depleting energy security, officials said Friday.
Officials of state-run energy corporation, Petrobangla, said Chevron has found the reserve at a structure at Char Kazal after conducting a two-dimensional (2D) seismic survey earlier this year.
"Chevron has informed us that the size of the reserve would be around 0.5 trillion cubic feet," a senior official told the FE, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"It's a very good news for the country's energy-starved southern coastal region. If gas is successfully extracted from the field, it would boost industrialisation in the south, especially in Khulna where many factories were closed due to energy crisis," he said.
The US firm will drill an exploratory well next winter to ascertain the actual reserve and to select site for developing well, the official said, adding gas could be supplied from the field by 2012.
The third largest global oil company started 2D seismic survey at the gas block No. 7 in southern Bangladesh in May-June period this year to find out gas structures.
Chevron, which also operates the country's largest gas-producing field at Bibiyana, is now analysing the 2D seismic survey for drilling exploratory well. "They told us that the analysis would be over by May," the official said.
It has conducted the seismic survey in 465-line kilometres investing nearly US$12 million at three sites in Char Kajol, Amtoli and Chandramohan situated in the Block 7 comprising Barisal, Patuakhali, Jhalakathi and Pirojpur districts.
The company had earlier done similar survey in about 1087-line kilometers in the same block, where state-owned energy exploration firm BAPEX has a 10 per cent stake.
The discovery came as a big boost for energy-hungry Bangladesh at a time when the country is desperately looking for new gas reserve to meet its growing energy demand.
The country has been facing an acute crisis of natural gas since late 2007, as supply has failed to match soaring demand, forcing hundreds of factories to cut production or halt expansion.
Presently, the country's 18 existing gas fields supply a maximum 1950 million cubic feet of gas a day against a demand for over 2200mmcfd. The demand for gas is rising at an annual rate of eight per cent.
The US company which took over another American firm, Unocal's, operations in Bangladesh alone makes up for about 80 per cent of total daily gas production by the international oil companies in Bangladesh.
Its giant Bibiyana gas-field in Hobiganj alone supplies nearly 20 per cent of the country's daily gas supply.
The US oil company Chevron has detected the presence of natural gas reserve in the southern Patukhali district in a major boost to the country's depleting energy security, officials said Friday.
Officials of state-run energy corporation, Petrobangla, said Chevron has found the reserve at a structure at Char Kazal after conducting a two-dimensional (2D) seismic survey earlier this year.
"Chevron has informed us that the size of the reserve would be around 0.5 trillion cubic feet," a senior official told the FE, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"It's a very good news for the country's energy-starved southern coastal region. If gas is successfully extracted from the field, it would boost industrialisation in the south, especially in Khulna where many factories were closed due to energy crisis," he said.
The US firm will drill an exploratory well next winter to ascertain the actual reserve and to select site for developing well, the official said, adding gas could be supplied from the field by 2012.
The third largest global oil company started 2D seismic survey at the gas block No. 7 in southern Bangladesh in May-June period this year to find out gas structures.
Chevron, which also operates the country's largest gas-producing field at Bibiyana, is now analysing the 2D seismic survey for drilling exploratory well. "They told us that the analysis would be over by May," the official said.
It has conducted the seismic survey in 465-line kilometres investing nearly US$12 million at three sites in Char Kajol, Amtoli and Chandramohan situated in the Block 7 comprising Barisal, Patuakhali, Jhalakathi and Pirojpur districts.
The company had earlier done similar survey in about 1087-line kilometers in the same block, where state-owned energy exploration firm BAPEX has a 10 per cent stake.
The discovery came as a big boost for energy-hungry Bangladesh at a time when the country is desperately looking for new gas reserve to meet its growing energy demand.
The country has been facing an acute crisis of natural gas since late 2007, as supply has failed to match soaring demand, forcing hundreds of factories to cut production or halt expansion.
Presently, the country's 18 existing gas fields supply a maximum 1950 million cubic feet of gas a day against a demand for over 2200mmcfd. The demand for gas is rising at an annual rate of eight per cent.
The US company which took over another American firm, Unocal's, operations in Bangladesh alone makes up for about 80 per cent of total daily gas production by the international oil companies in Bangladesh.
Its giant Bibiyana gas-field in Hobiganj alone supplies nearly 20 per cent of the country's daily gas supply.