Gas production in the country is decreasing
The demand for gas in the country is now about 5,000 million cubic feet. Although officially it is said to be 4,000 million cubic feet.
Meanwhile, hundreds of industries and factories are waiting for gas connections. In addition, the demand for gas is also increasing in established industrial institutions. They have been going from office to office of gas distribution companies for years waiting for an increase in gas load. As a result, practically everything is moving slowly due to the gas crisis. In this situation, the supply of gas from domestic sources is decreasing day by day.
There is not much hope for overcoming the situation in domestic gas exploration and extraction. To meet the demand for gas, we have to rely on LNG imported from abroad. However, there is a severe crisis there too. Because the import of LNG from abroad is related to a huge amount of dollars, which crisis has not yet ended. All in all, the country’s energy supply has faced a major challenge to accelerate the wheels of the economy, including industry, trade, and electricity generation.
According to Petrobangla sources, 117.34 million cubic feet of gas was extracted daily from the gas wells under BAPEX till September this year. 548 million cubic feet are being extracted daily from the wells of Bangladesh Gas Fields, 130.6 million cubic feet of gas has been extracted from the wells of Sylhet Gas Field.
In the 2024-25 fiscal year, an average of 1039 MMCFD cubic feet has been extracted daily from all gas fields till October. There, only 717.49 million cubic feet of gas will be extracted daily during the remaining period of the 2024-25 fiscal year. In addition to these sources, foreign companies that extract gas from other wells in the country and LNG imported from abroad will be connected to the national grid.
In this regard, a director of Petrobangla told our time on condition of anonymity that the gas crisis has been going on for the past decade. Despite various efforts, gas production is not being increased to the desired level. He said, if you look at one thing, you will see that the previous Awami League government, considering the reality of domestic gas sources or supply, leaned towards LNG terminals or LNG imports.
He said, the reality is that it is almost impossible to ensure adequate gas supply from our domestic sources. If a large area is found in the future, it is certainly good for us. But even if we do not get it, we must ensure gas supply or supply to maintain the progress of the country’s industries and factories.
The official said that the crisis in this sector is going to become more pronounced due to the unstable political situation in the country. Officials and employees at any level are not able to take decisions at the right time. As a result, maintaining the supply of fuel, especially gas according to demand, is a big challenge in the coming days.
On the other hand, the gas crisis in the country is increasing. The daily gas shortage is about 1500 million cubic feet. The sector most affected by gas shortage is the industrial sector. Industries and factories are getting 30 percent less gas than the demand. This problem is becoming more and more evident in the industrial areas of the country including Gazipur, Narayanganj, Savar, Chittagong, Narsingdi.
Factory production is being disrupted due to the gas crisis. Many factories are under threat, while some are on the verge of closure. Owners are being forced to lay off workers. Due to low production, product exports are decreasing, and imports of raw materials from abroad are increasing. As a result, foreign exchange reserves are being pressured. Those concerned are seeing signs of trouble in the economy if the gas crisis is not resolved quickly.
Meanwhile, Khandaker Golam Moazzem, Research Director of the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a private research organization, recently told the media about the gas crisis that the previous Awami League government paid more attention to imports than gas exploration.
Therefore, the crisis has become more intense. If the gas crisis is not resolved quickly, domestic and foreign investment will be hampered, which is not good for the country’s economy. He said, it is possible to supply surplus gas to the industrial sector by strengthening gas extraction and exploration activities from domestic sources and increasing the use of renewable energy instead of gas in power generation. This will be a solution to the crisis. Because the state of the country’s reserves means that we cannot rely too much on LNG.
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Credit: Dainikamadershomoy
