The government is planning significantly increase the digging of gas wells to help meet domestic energy demand amid the global fuel price hike due to the Russia-Ukraine war.
As per the ambitious plan taken by the Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources Corporation (Petrobangla), Bangladesh will add an expected 618 million cubic feet of gas per day from 46 new wells that will be dug by 2025.
The 46 new wells will include 17 exploration wells, 12 development wells and 17 workover wells. Petrobangla will conduct two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismic surveys across the country to prepare the digging of the wells
Three domestic gas companies - Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (Bapex), Sylhet Gas Fields Company's (SGFL), and Bangladesh Gas Fields Company (BGFCL) – currently produce 852 million cubic feet of gas per day from 70 wells. BGFCL owns 44 of the wells, Bapex owns 15, and SGFL owns 11.
A further 1.49 billion cubic feet of gas is generated from 43 gas wells owned by foreign companies Chevron and Tullow.
When contacted, Petrobangla Chairman Nazmul Ahsan told Dhaka Tribune: “We have taken a plan to dig 46 gas wells by 2025. The new wells will be dug gradually.”
Among the 46 wells, six (five by Bapex, one by SGFL) will be dug by the end of this year. They are expected to produce 62 million cubic feet of gas per day.
In 2023, a total 15 new wells (Bapex 5, SGFL 6, BGFCL 4) are expected to produce a further 217 million cubic feet of gas per day.
In 2024, 14 new wells (Bapex 6, SGFL 4, BGFCL 4) are expected to produce 176 million cubic feet of gas per day. The final 11 wells (Bapex 4, SGFL 3, BGFCL 4) dug in 2025 are expected to produce 163 million cubic feet of gas per day.
Energy experts praised the measures to increase gas exploration, but also stressed the need to use better equipment to extract gas more efficiently.
Dr Badrul Imam, honorary professor at the Department of Geology of Dhaka University said: “Bangladesh is one of the least explored countries of the world for gas, but our success ratio is higher than others. In Bangladesh, our success ratio is 1:3, whereas in most other countries this ratio is around 1:5.”
He also called for more gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal, as there is a high chance of finding gas there.
Petrobangla has added 30-50 million cubic feet of gas per day through one exploration, one development and five workover wells in the last year.
New gas was found in Sylhet well 9, and it produces about 5 million cubic feet of gas per day. Fenchuganj wells 3 and 4 are producing 16,000,000 cubic feet of gas in workover.
Around 10 million cubic feet of gas is being extracted from Kailastila well 7. Two million cubic feet of gas is available from Shrikail well 4.
Bibiana is the largest gas field in the country, producing 1.24 billion cubic feet of gas daily from 26 wells.
