Normalcy expected as gas supply resumes after pipeline fixed

The authorities repaired a damaged gas- transmission pipeline 62 hours after an accident and resumed the flow of re-gasified liquefied natural gas (LNG) through it on Friday morning.
Md Rafiqul Islam, managing director of state-owned Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL), which handles LNG trading in Bangladesh, confirmed the development to The Financial Express on Friday.
"We have carried out repair works around the clock despite adverse weather conditions to restore the damaged Anwara-Fouzderhat pipeline in Chattogram," he said.
The 30km, 42-inch Anwara-Fouzderhat pipeline, which had been offline since an accident on the afternoon of 9 July, resumed supplying re-gasified LNG at around 7:20 on Friday after repairs, he said.
By 10:30 on Friday, the pipeline was carrying about 150 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of re-gasified LNG -- bringing the country's total supply to about 400 mmcfd, Mr Islam said.
Another pipeline, the 91km, 30-inch Moheshkhali-Anwara line, which remained operational after the accident, was carrying about 250 mmcfd on Friday morning, he added.
The RPGCL managing director hoped the country's overall re-gasified LNG supply would reach the full capacity of its current infrastructure to 600 mmcfd by Friday evening.
RPGCL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of state-owned Petrobangla, looks after the LNG trading in Bangladesh.
Shafiuddin M Farhad Omar, deputy general manager of state-owned Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL), said a 3.0-metre section of the damaged pipeline had been replaced with a fresh patch and welded to restore gas supplies.
Mr Omar, who oversees GTCL's operations in Chattogram region, could not specify the repair cost but said Petrobangla's senior management would settle all relevant issues, including compensation, after discussions with the Chinese company involved in the pipeline accident.
He said the pipeline was damaged when struck by a soil testing rig operated by First Harbor Consultant Ltd in the Majherchar area on the bank of Karnaphuli river in southern Bangladesh.
The rig was deployed by China Road Bridge Construction Ltd to conduct soil testing for a jetty on Karnaphuli river, which would be used for a China Economic Zone, Mr Omar said.
Punctures were identified in the Anwara-Fouzderhat pipeline on the afternoon of 9 July, subsequently affecting LNG re-gasification from the operational floating, storage and regasification unit on Moheshkhali island, he said.
GTCL, a subsidiary of Petrobangla, builds, owns, operates and maintains the national gas grid and gas transmission pipelines.
The country's gas-guzzling consumers got a sigh of relief with the resumption of operation of the damaged gas transmission pipeline. Overall power supply improved and gas supply to consumers increased from Friday morning, sources said.
However, consumers will be able to get increased volumes of re-gasified LNG once the Summit LNG Terminal comes online next week. The Summit's 500 mmcfd capacity FSRU arrived at the Moheshkhali mooring facility on Thursday night and is preparing to start operations next week.
In an official statement on 12 July, the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources also confirmed that the damaged pipeline was restored at 07:20 on Friday morning.
Acknowledging the inconvenience to consumers, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has ordered authorities to map gas transmission pipeline routes before any physical or infrastructure work nearby.
Such accidents could be avoided with pipeline mapping, Mr Hamid said in a statement, issued by Deputy Chief Information Officer of the ministry Mir Mohammad Aslam Uddin.

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