Petrobangla, the state-owned national oil company, has expressed its frustration over the slow progress of the Russian state-owned company Gazprom in drilling 10 development wells in different gas fields.
Gazprom is carrying out a project to drill exploratory and production wells. In April 2012, it signed two drilling contracts with Bangladesh.
Under the signed agreements, the Russian party was supposed to complete the drilling of those wells by the end of this year.
The company has so far drilled two wells; it is yet to provide gas to the national grid.
Petrobangla expected to supply around 250–300 million cubic feet of natural gas a day to the national grid by drilling the 10 gas wells.
“We expect the drilling will be completed by this year but we are frustrated due to their negligence,” Petrobangla Chairman Hossain Monsur told the Dhaka Tribune Monday.
By April 18, the company has completed the drilling work of the third well of Srikail Gas Field of the Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (BAPEX) in Comilla.
“We have sent letters to the company,” MA Baki, managing director of the state-run BAPEX, told the Dhaka Tribune on Monday.
Although a well was drilled, the gas could not be added to the national grid as they did not bring the necessary equipment, he said.
“We hope that it will be able to add at least 25 mmcfd gas to national grid from the well,” Said Baki.
Gazprom has completed drilling in the 20th development well of the Titas Gas Field of the Bangladesh Gas Field Company Limited (BGFCL) in Brahmanbaria.
“The rig was trapped while drilling the well and it was completed in May this year,” Ahmed Hossain, Director of the well-drilling project of the state-run BGFCL said.
“Although this well was drilled the gas could not be added to the national grid as they did not bring the necessary equipment,” BGFCL Managing director Md Shafiqur Rahman said.
He said it would not be possible by the next month.
“We hope that it will be able to add at least 30 mmcfd gas to national grid from the well,” Said Shafiqur.
The government in April last year signed a deal with Russian state-owned company Gazprom on drilling 10 gas wells, spending $193.55 million across the country without any tender under the Power and Energy Quick Supply (special provision) Act.
According to the deal, four wells were to be drilled in Titas Gas Field of the BGFCL, one in Rashidpur Gas Field of the SGFL, two in Shahbazpur, one each in Semutang, Begumganj and Srikail of BAPEX.
According to the agreement, BAPEX will pay $18.64m each for drilling each of the five gas wells in its gas fields while the BGFCL and the SGFL will pay $20.06m for drilling each of the other five gas wells.
