The Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (Bapex) has started experimental gas exploration from the ninth well of the Ilisha-1 gas field in Bhola.
The exploration was officially inaugurated on Friday under the management of Gazprom, a Russian majority state-owned multinational energy corporation.
The field has a reserve of 180-200 billion cubic feet of gas, according to Bapex sources. If everything goes well, Bapex aims to officially produce gas from the well by May 15.
It is estimated that 20 to 22 million cubic feet of gas can be extracted from the well daily.
So far, nine wells have been drilled in two separate gas fields in Shahbazpur and Bhola North.
Bapex has confirmed that the total gas reserves in these wells are 1.7 trillion cubic feet.
On March 9, Bapex started drilling in the Ilisha-1 well which was successfully completed on April 24 through DST (Drill Stem State) at three levels.
Earlier, the government said that gas distribution from Bhola to Khulna via Barisal will also start in May or June in the form of CNG.
The government will supply this gas to industrial establishments, according to sources. This will bring some relief to the industrial factories of Dhaka, Gazipur and Narayanganj.
Meanwhile, gas explored from Bhola's gas fields could not be supplied outside the district due to a lack of pipelines.
The government has taken various measures in the production of domestic gas in order to eliminate the energy crisis in the country. As part of the government's efforts, the Geological Department of Bapex will conduct a new oil-gas exploration from next October.
In January this year, the state-owned Bapex discovered gas in Bhola North-2 well.
The production rate of the gas from the well will be determined after the final testing. However, Bapex is optimistic about gas production at a potential rate of 20(+/-) mmcfd.
Petrobangla has planned to drill a total of 46 exploration, development and workover wells during the period 2022-25.
Alamgir Hossain, general manager of the Geological Department at Bapex, confirmed the information and said that now the testing is going on at different locations.
He said that gas has been found at a depth of 3,433 metres at Ilisha which is spread over about 4km area.
In 1994-95, Bangladesh discovered gas in Shahbajpur for the first time.