Tackling gas draught in Chittagong

Resumption of gas supply to the Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited (CUFL) after 10 months of suspension has further aggravated gas crisis in the port and industrial district. Gas supply to all power plants in the Chittagong region now remains suspended. All domestic commercial, industrial and CNG  consumers are suffering from serious gas draught. Gas supply crisis has adversely affected industrial production. Export-oriented industries are the worst-hit. Now the latest situation has caused immense sufferings to gas-using city dwellers. From the present state of affairs, it is highly unlikely that the situation will improve soon.
The Petrobangla sources say the peak gas demand of Chittagong region is 390 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD). The daily supply fluctuates between 180 and 200 MMCFD. About 200 MMCFD deficit has created a chronic gas crisis in the Chittagong region. The Petrobangla has miserably failed to address the gas crisis over the entire term of the Grand Alliance government. There is nothing magical that can be done in near term as any contingency action may also take at least two years to bear any fruit. In such a situation, the suffering community of Chittagong may turn their back to the ruling party in the ensuing general election.
Let us have an objective analysis of the gas supply situation of Chittagong. From the daily gas production and supply report of the Petrobangla, we find the following:
The gas supply infrastructure of Chittagong comprises the following:
# The 178 km long 24 OD gas transmission pipeline from the Bakhrabad gas field to the Fuajderhat city gate station,
# The Sangu offshore gas field connected with the Bakhrabad -Chittagong gas transmission pipeline at Salimpoor, Faujderhat,
# A spur line from the Feni gas field to the BKB-Chittagong pipeline,
# A spur line from the Sundalpoor gas field to the Bakhrabad -Chittagong pipeline and
# A spur line from the Semutang gas field to the Chittagong ring main pipeline.
The Feni and the Sangu gas fields are not in production now. Sundalpoor supplies about 10MMCFD and Semutang 7 MMCFD. About 170-180 MMCFD gas transmitted through the Bakhrabad -Chittagong pipeline is available for Chittagong area. So at this stage, the maximum gas supply to Chittagong hardly exceeds 200 MMCFD.
In 1980, the ANSI 400 gas transmission pipeline was designed with a capacity of 350 MMCFD under condition of 960 PSI at Bakhrabad and 500 PSI at Chittagong. An intermediate compressor station was set up at Feni for installation when required. The capacity of Chittagong CGS in two phases was made 350 MMCFD. The Bakhrabad and the Feni gas fields were developed mainly to serve south-eastern parts of Bangladesh and mainly Chittagong area. But for some delays in construction of the Karnaphully Fertiliser Company Limited (KAFCO) and the CUFL and for meeting the growing gas demand of greater Dhaka area, the 75km 20 inches OD Bakhrabad-Demra pipeline with a capacity of 220 MMCFD was constructed in 1984.
Availability of gas created huge incentives for massive gas- based industrialisation in Chittagong. Apart from two large fertiliser plants CUFL and KAFCO, major gas-based power plants were set up at Shikhalbaha and Raujan. Some major industries like KPM, ERL, TSP and Usmania glass sheet factory were converted to gas. Many gas-based industries were set up at Nasirabad, Kalurghat, Halishahar and Chittagong EPZ areas. In mid-1990s, gas demand of Chittagong started surpassing the supply as over- production of the Bakhrabad gas field dramatically depleted the gas reserve. A high priority Ashuganj-Bakhrabad gas transmission pipeline was constructed on a top priority basis in 1997 to divert stranded gas of greater Sylhet region to gas-starved Chittagong. But depleted Bakhrabad gas field required a booster compressor to match the delivery pressure of the gas transmission hub at the Bakhrabad field. The depletion of gas reserve and production of gas with sand and sludge into the pipeline caused erosion and corrosion of the Bakhrabad-Chittagong pipeline. The transmission capacity of the pipeline was effectively reduced to 250 MMCFD. The Feni gas field, controversially leased out to NIKO, went out of production due to contractual dispute with the Petrobangla.
However, discovery and development of the Sangu offshore gas field in 1998 came as a blessing for Chittagong area. The reserve of gas field, however, again started depleting from 2002 from effects of over-production. Short-sighted Petrobangla planners should have made alternate gas supply infrastructure for Chittagong from 2003. Professionals suggested for constructing the Bakhrabad-Chittagong loop line since 2004. But the gas system policymakers did not pay any heed.
The Bangladesh team for the Myanmar-Bangladesh-India pipeline negotiation suggested for routing the tri-nation pipeline through Chittagong to meet the vision of gas supply crisis mitigation in 2005. Unfortunately, the tri-nation pipeline did not materialise.
From 2006, industrialists in Chittagong started giving SOS to the policy-makers for required action for gas supply augmentation in Chittagong in view of the depleting scenario of the Sangu gas field. Many industrialists investing huge borrowed money in gas- based industries were anxiously waiting for gas. The caretaker government could do very little in this regard. But the democratic government of the Grand Alliance failed miserably to address the gas crisis of Chittagong. Due to ill advice of a vested quarter, they embarked on ambitious LNG import initiative. In five years of its term, very little achievement could be made and gas supply still remains uncertain.  The government did not think it wise to encourage Santos for exploring and developing the Magnama and the Hatiya prospects. Santos wanted a feasible concession for letting them develop the Kutubdia marginal field. But penny-wise pound-foolish policymakers thought it otherwise. Consequently, the Magnama and the Hatiya gas fields were not also developed. The ConocoPhilips did very little in their allotted offshore blocks.  There is very little prospect of getting any offshore gas in the next 4-5 years. The so-called massive advantage of resolution of maritime boundary dispute with Myanmar in the Bay of Bengal could bring very little dividend.
The present government developed the Semarang gas field and discovered and developed the Sundalpoor gas field. But the production from these marginal fields, compared to huge deficit of Chittagong, can be best described as trickle in the ocean.
In the present scenario, commissioning of the Ashuganj compressor station can only marginally improve the supply situation in Chittagong without the Ashuganj-Bakhrabad and the Bakhrabad-Chittagong loop line.
We do not really understand the government actions in a highly ambitious and very expensive Bibiyana-Dhanua pipeline. Where is the huge gas to feed this pipeline over its design life- time? Which area it will be serving? Compressor stations at Ashuganj and Elenga are more than enough for gas supply to the southern region. The Dhaka system will be well served from the Bakhrabad-Shiddhirganj pipeline.  This pipeline will serve no purpose for gas-starved Chittagong region.
Professionals in the meantime kept on suggesting for constructing a bi-directional Bakhrabad-Chittagong loop line enabling diversion of additional gas from national grid for Chittagong. The bi-directional pipeline can be used to transport back to grid gas when offshore gas or LNG will be available for Chittagong.
Given the present scenario of gas famine in Chittagong, it is suggested that the incumbent government must take a high priority national project for construction of the Bakhrabad-Chittagong gas transmission loop line project. LNG import, even if it materialises, will take at least 4-5 years. Gas from offshore, if any, will take 7 to 9 years to reach the region. The only option for mitigating gas crisis of Chittagong is to build the Bakhrabad-Chittagong gas transmission loop line.
If proper gas supply infrastructure for Chittagong can be ensured, the CEPZ can further grow, the KEPZ can be developed to full potential and the KAFCO can have a second unit built. The Bangladesh economy can get a shot in the arm.
The writer is an engineer. [email protected]