A new gas field was discovered at Rupganj in Narayanganj yesterday, said MA Baki, managing director of state-run Petrobangla’s exploration wing Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Ltd (Bapex).
This is the 26th gas field discoveredso far in the country, he told the Dhaka Tribune. Baki said the new gas field may have a reserve of 50 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas.
The gas field could supply 10-15 million cubic feet (mmcf) of gas per day to the national grid. According to the calculation, the field would be able to supply gas for around 17 years.
The new gas field is located in the Purbachal Residential Model City.
Baki said gas was found at a depth of 3,326 metres. “Gas has been found in two zones (lower and upper) of the field. The lower zone where gas was found between 3,591 and 3,593 metres; but exploring gas from the zone will not be commercially viable while gas was also detected 3,326 metres in the upper zone.”
“We are now able to explore gas in 2,100 PSIG [pressure per square inch gas] in the upper zone. Exploring gas from the zone will be commercially viable,” he said. It would need to construct 5-6km long gas transmission line to feed it to the national grid.
“We hope that we would be able to supply gas to the national grid within four months.”
Baki said there were also plans to dig several development wells at the field.
It is the third discovery of gas during the previous and current tenure of Awami League-led government.
The cost of digging the experimental well under the Rupganj Oil/Gas Exploration Well Digging Project was estimated at Tk97 crore.
Bapex is currently producing and supplying 115 million cubic feet gas to the national grid every day from its six gas fields in Saldanadi, Fenchuganj, Shahbazpur, Semutung, Sundalpur and Srikail.