Bapex lifts gas from Semutang well

Dhaka, June 23 (bdnews24.com) ? A state-run exploration company has successfully lifted gas from its Semutang field in Khagrachhari district.

The Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (Bapex) managing director Mortuza Ahmad Faruque told bdnews24.com that gas was drilled out on Thursday noon.

Faruque said gas from the field's fifth well, having a recoverable gas reserve of about 150 billion cubic feet, a small-sized field, could be distributed to Chittagong city in October.

"We have been active in the field since the end of April and from [Thursday] noon, we're getting gas."

Land development work and construction of residential infrastructure in the field have already been completed.

Faruque said laying down of a 60-km pipeline to Chittagong from the field was underway and it could be completed as early as August-September.

The Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited is executing the pipeline project.

The Bapex MD informed that 20-30mmcft gas from Semutang could be produced for nearly 15 years. "It'll help ease the prevailing gas crisis in the port city," he hoped.

The probable daily production could run a 100MW power plant.

The country currently produces gas of around 2,000 mmcft per day against demand of more than 2,500 mmcft. The proven gas reserves are 7.3 trillion cubic feet,

Bapex is currently producing 58 mmcf gas everyday from three fields ? Fenchuganj, Salda and Shabazpur.

The well was dumped by Shell and Cairns way back in 1997 as they did not find it economically viable.

The first four wells were drilled in 1969-70 by the then Oil and Gas Development Company Limited of Pakistan, but were abandoned later.

The work-over project in the field, costing an estimated Tk 650 million, was approved on May 22, 2008 by the ECNEC.

bdnews24.com/pks/nir/2345h

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