Sabbir Alam Babu, Bhola

Proper plannings are urgently needed to utilise gas reserved in southern island district Bhola.

There is no system to bring this gas outside the district. Even within the district, the consumption of gas could not be ensured according to the production capacity.

Sources of Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources Corporation (Petrobangla) said, although Bhola's Shahbazpur gas field has a production capacity of 150 million cubic feet per day, a maximum of 6.5 million cubic feet of gas is being used. Due to lack of demand, gas is not being produced from this gas field. Apart from this, despite the discovery, gas extraction from Bhola North gas field has not been undertaken for almost four years.

Currently, the daily gas demand in the country is 380 million cubic feet. 230 million cubic feet are produced. Since 2018, the government has resorted to importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) at high prices to meet the shortage, but Bhola gas is lagging behind. Those concerned say that Bhola gas is not being used only due to lack of proper initiative. Now that the price of LNG in the global market has gone out of reach, some thought has started on Bhola gas.

In Bhola, the government has moved to import high-priced LNG by leaving gas underground. It is a classic example of gross negligence and mismanagement and short-sightedness. Badrul Imam, Geologist.

In 1995, Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (BAPEX) discovered the Shahbazpur gas field in Borhanuddin Upazila of Bhola. The same company discovered Bhola's second gas field, Bhola North, in 2018. Gas production from Shahbazpur started in 2009. And production has not yet started from Bhola North. Petrobangla estimates that the two gas fields together may now hold one and a half trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas reserves. Reserves may increase further after new wells are drilled.

Bapex has increased production capacity After the gas is produced, it is processed and supplied to pipelines. According to Bapex sources, a 7 crore cubic feet gas processing unit has been operating at Shahbazpur gas field since its inception.

Then a unit of 2 crore cubic feet was brought and temporarily installed. Now another 6 crore cubic feet processing unit has been set up. But this production capacity is falling. 6.5 million cubic feet of gas has been produced from four wells. Another well is sitting after being dug. Sundarban Gas Company, the supplier here, is not able to take gas at the consumer level. Bapex Managing Director Mohammad Ali said that it has the capacity to supply 150 million cubic feet of gas. Two more wells have been drilled to increase gas production. Apart from this, a plan has been taken to conduct a three-dimensional seismic survey in an area of 600 square kilometers in Charfashan and Manpura upazilas of Bhola for gas exploration.

Sundarbans and PDB's lack of coordination Sundarban Gas Company says that gas is being supplied to three power plants, two captives (own electricity produced in industry), factories and 2500 houses in Bhola.

Power Development Board (PDB), a government agency, has a 225 MW power plant with a demand of three and a half million cubic feet per day. But due to problems in the pipeline, half of the gas is being supplied. As a result, one of their units is closed. And 3.5 million cubic feet of gas is being supplied to the private power plant of 225 MW capacity. Apart from this, another private power plant of 34 MW capacity is taking 80 to 90 million cubic feet of gas per day. Apart from this, the daily demand for industries and households is 45 lakh cubic feet.

A responsible official of Sundarban Gas Company said that the supply of gas must be kept uninterrupted. Sudden shutdown of a power plant unit can lead to pipeline burst due to gas pressure problem. There is risk in that. The PDB could not give the assurance that the power plant would be operational all the time. Recently a letter has been written to PDB to increase gas supply. In this regard, Gautam Pal, chief engineer of PDB's 225 MW power plant, said that one unit of the power plant is being shut down due to non-availability of gas. And the opinion of the higher authority will be sought regarding Sundarban's letter.

Feasibility not verified to bring out According to Petrobangla sources, multinational company Unicol proposed to bring Bhola gas out of the district in the 90s after the gas field was discovered. They talked about making a 120 km pipeline. There was also a proposal to make power plants in Bhola, Barisal and Khulna using this gas. But the government did not proceed with this proposal. The then government thought that it would not be profitable.

Now after the reduction of LNG import from the world market, the government is looking for various ways to use Bhola gas. Gazprom has been awarded the task of drilling two wells in the Bhola North gas field to increase production.

They have started digging one. Petrobangla is negotiating with the US company Accelerate Energy for the construction of the gas pipeline. This pipeline will go from Bhola to Barishal to Khulna.

Another pipeline will be connected to Dhaka via Padma Bridge from Barisal. Chairman of Petrobangla said that a committee of Petrobangla is initially working on the route and cost of pipeline construction before the feasibility study. Also discussed with Accelerate. If the gas reserves increase further, it may be profitable to bring gas outside the district.

However, sources in Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL), which is in charge of the construction of the pipeline, say that preparations have been started to check the feasibility of bringing Bhola gas out. Initially they are analyzing themselves.