Bapex to Drill Eight Wells to Address Gas Crisis.

In an effort to alleviate the ongoing gas crisis in Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration Company (Bapex) has announced plans to drill and renovate eight gas wells within the next two months. If successful, this initiative is expected to add approximately 100 million cubic feet of gas to the national grid, offering some relief to the country currently facing a severe gas shortage.

Drilling and Renovation Plans

Bapex Managing Director Md. Shoaib confirmed the company’s ongoing efforts to drill new wells and improve existing ones to boost gas production. The company has achieved significant progress in several previous projects and, with government approval, aims to drill a total of 100 wells in the near future. The focus in the next two months will be on drilling eight wells and conducting survey work in various blocks.

The wells selected for drilling include:

• Begumganj-4 (West) and Bijoy-10: Drilling is already completed using the rig, and gas has been found in three layers. The potential gas supply from these wells is expected to be between 12 and 19 million cubic feet per day.
• Jamalpur-1: Exploration work will begin in January, with the rig being transferred from Noakhali. This well is expected to add significant capacity to the gas supply.
• Titas-16: Workover operations have started with the Vijay-11 rig, and once completed, the rig will be moved to Habiganj-5 for further workover activities.
• Zakiganj-1: Workover has been completed, with gas extraction occurring at a rate of 10-13 million cubic feet per day. The rig will be moved to Kailashtila-7 for similar work.
• Sylhet-7: The Vijay-18 rig has completed the workover, with gas supply at a rate of 10-12 million cubic feet per day. The rig will soon be transferred for workover at Kailashtila-1 or Rupganj-1.

Additionally, the IPS Cordwell rig has been commissioned, and work is expected to begin shortly on drilling the Sundalpur-4 exploration well. Other geological and seismic survey works are ongoing in various areas, including Noakhali-Lakshmipur and Bhola Transition.

Impact on Gas Supply and Demand

Bangladesh faces a daily gas demand of approximately 5,000 million cubic feet, but current supply hovers between 2,700 and 3,000 million cubic feet. To bridge the gap, 1,000 million cubic feet is imported via LNG, while the remaining supply comes from domestic sources.

Due to the shortfall in domestic gas production, over 200 industries have already shut down, with another 300 at risk of closing. The situation is exacerbated by a lack of interest from suppliers in importing LNG from the spot market and the broader financial challenges the country faces.

Bapex’s initiatives, including the drilling of new wells and the renovation of existing ones, are crucial steps toward mitigating the country’s gas crisis. While these efforts may offer some short-term relief, long-term solutions will be necessary to meet the growing energy demands of Bangladesh’s industries and population.

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