A Correspondent:
A new gas well, named Ilisha-1, has been discovered in Bhola, capable of extracting 20 to 22 million cubic feet of gas daily.
BAPEX, the Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited, has successfully extracted gas experimentally from the well, bringing the total number of wells discovered in the district to nine.
If everything goes well, gas extraction will officially begin on May 15th, according to BAPEX.
The government has taken various steps to increase domestic gas production to eliminate the energy crisis in the country. The discovery of the Ilisha-1 gas field in Bhola brings hope amidst the high global fuel gas prices and the crisis.
International company Gazprom of Russia conducted the well drilling based on the BAPEX design and location, which was successfully completed on April 24th through Drill Stem Test in three levels at a depth of 3,436 meters.
BAPEX’s General Manager of Geophysical Department, Alamgir Hossain, estimates that initially, 20 to 22 million cubic feet of gas will be available from this well daily, with 180 to 220 BCF of gas reserves.
However, further testing will be conducted to determine the actual production per day. The gas reserves in these wells are 1.7 TCF cubic feet.
Currently, only four wells are extracting gas, with 140 MMcf of gas being extracted per day but not fully utilised.