Bangladesh Finds Additional Gas

After claiming to have made an additional gas discovery at the Rashidpur onshore gas field, Bangladesh could shortly see itself out of an impending energy crisis.

The field could yield an extra 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves and if the claim by the state-run Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration & Production (Bapex) proves correct, it would push the total gas reserves estimates at the field past the 3 Tcf mark.

"It is a great relief... as the country might face a severe crisis (in gas supplies) after 2015 if no new gas reserves are found," Bapex chairman Mohammad Hussain Monsur said in an interview.

"We'll shortly start exploration work with the assistance of foreign experts."

Rashidpur currently produces around 48 million cubic feet of gas per day from five wells. Operator Sylhet Gas Fields, a subsidiary of state-owned giant Bangladesh Oil, Gas & Mineral Corporation (Petrobangla), plans to add another 55 Mmcfd with three more wells.

The country had previously made a grim forecast, stating it would be running out of domestic gas supply in 2015 if current rates of consumption are maintained. Against a demand for more than 2.5 Bcfd, the nation currently produces about 2 billion cubic feet per day.

Russia’s Gazprom earlier this year signed up to begin a five-well drilling programme in Bangladesh in October, one of which is at Rashidpur. Santos Energy of Australia is also very active in the country.