Bapex hits oil-gas structure in Sunamganj-Netrokona, expects over 2 trillion cubic feet gas reserve; drilling next year to confirm discovery
Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration Company (Bapex) has discovered a potentially large oil and gas structure in Sunamganj-Netrokona districts and is preparing to drill an exploratory well there.
According to Bapex Managing Director Mortuza Ahmad Faruque, while finding oil and gas there ultimately depended on luck, the geological structure determined through a survey was very much in favour of a gas field with two to three trillion cubic feet (tcf) reserve.
In such case, it would be the biggest find by the lone Bangladeshi exploration company that had over the years discovered 10 small to medium fields. The biggest field discovered by Bapex so far is in Shahbazpur in Bhola that has around 600 billion cubic feet (bcf) reserve.
“This is a high prospect zone. It is located in the Surma basin. The Bibiyana field is located in the eastern part of this basin while this zone is located in the western part. This zone has all the geological characteristics required for oil or gas deposit. The size of this structure can accommodate two to three tcf gas,” said Mortuza.
The structure has been given the name “Sunetra” combining the names of Sunamganj and Netrokona as the structure spreads across both the districts.
Bapex is now preparing a high priority proposal for the government to drill one exploratory well in next March-April at a cost of Tk 80-90 crore in Fulor village in Sunamganj by the Monai river.
The proposal will be sent to the higher authorities for approval next month.
If the well strikes gas, the proposal keeps the provision of drilling three development wells and installing a gas processing plant. “We are making this proposal in such a way that we don’t need to waste time seeking approval at each level of development of this potential field,” said Mortuza.
Gas from this field can be made available to Netrokona or Mymensingh within a couple of years. The energy ministry is already working on a pipeline project on priority basis to transmit the new find.
According to the Bapex MD, the gas can be quickly delivered up to Netrokona by installing a 25-kilometre pipeline. Besides, the government can set up power plants close to the gas field to utilise the gas even faster.
A top official of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd said Titas has a high pressure gas pipeline up to Netrokona. Although this pipeline does not have large capacity to transmit huge new gas, it could certainly handle gas from at least one well of the field. This could be worked out immediately after the discovery.
This would be important as gas crisis is already affecting the country’s power generation, industrial production and even household stoves.
The structure was discovered through a seismic survey covering a line of 260 kilometres conducted last year and earlier this year. The interpretation of the survey data was completed in July and Bapex submitted it to its parent company Petrobangla.
The survey has cost Tk 3.5 crore, officials say.
Right now, Bapex is negotiating with some local landowners to procure land at the site. If Bapex fails to purchase this land, it would seek the government’s move for requisition of the land.
“The drilling site is very close to the main road. We will have to develop the site and a drilling pad, plus construct a small road infrastructure to begin the drilling,” said the Bapex chief.
One of the basic impediments to drilling the well is a bridge on the wide river Panchanadi in Thakuragiona area. The bridge was constructed very poorly only a few years ago and already heavy vehicles take extra precautions while crossing it. Mobilising a drilling rig through this bridge would be highly risky, say officials.
Bapex chief said his team has determined an alternative route to mobilise the rig through Mohanganj. “But ultimately we will need this bridge to be workable,” he added.
Right now Bapex is tightly scheduled to conduct a series of drilling of wells at different locations. In next month it will start drilling a well in Sundalpur followed by another in Srikail.
“But our top priority is this structure,” said the Bapex chief.
Another Bapex official said the state-owned company might not be able to begin drilling in April-May next year.
He said typically all works of Bapex suffer due to delay in land acquisition and building a drilling pad ahead of the schedule. “This is true for all of Bapex’s schedules. Even our fast-track projects are suffering delays for this,” he added.
