Petrobangla to invest Tk 1,000 crore in two gas fields

BSS, Dhaka

The Energy Ministry will invest Taka 1,000 crore to implement its massive augmentation plan for exploring 120-150 MMCFD gas from two major gas fields in the country by 2011.
"Five drilling wells and two well augmentation plans will be implemented under the 'fast track' plan. The government will provide all the funds," Muktadir Ali, Managing Director of Petrobnagla, the state-run oil and gas company, told BSS on Saturday.
He said Bangladesh Gas Filed Company Ltd (BGFCL) and Sylhet Gas Company Ltd (SGCL) will implement the proposed fast track plan of the Petrobangla along with the ADB-funded programme.
According to the Petrobangla, four exploratory wells will be drilled in the Titas gas field, three repaired wells at the Kaylashtila gas field and one tubing well (tube change of the well) at the Rashidpur gas field within the next eight months. It is estimated that the country needs around 2200 MMCF gas per day to feed the industry and power sectors. However, the Petrobangla can produce around 1900-1950 MMCF gas.
"We can increase our production at least 600-700 MMCF gas per day if we take the massive augmentation plan in various gas fields," Moqbul-e-Elahi, a Petrobangla official said.
The Petrobangla has sought $US 347.6 million assistance from the ADB for developing the gas transmission system under the four projects in the next fiscal year.
The state-run oil and gas company recently submitted the priority list of the projects, including a 52-kilometer Dhanua- Elenga gas transmission pipeline, a 40-kilometer west bank of Jamina bridge-Nalka gas transmission pipeline, an 856-kilometer gas distribution network in the southwestern region of Bangladesh and a 151-kilometer Ashuganj-Bakhrabad-Chittagong gas transmission loop line (in two phase), to the delegation of the ADB's mission. "Aiming at adding more gas to the national grid in a shortest possible time, we take two sorts of projects run by the government and the ADB as we set an agendum to add 150 MMCF gas to the grid by 2011.
"To implement the idea, if needed, we will outsourcing manpower and technology from abroad," Muktadir Ali said.