BANGLADESH

BAPEX has struck yet another gas reserve worth 1 trillion cubic feet (TCF) in Rashidpur Gas Field in a major find that is expected to ease energy crisis.

This find of 967.2 billion cubic feet (BCF) came through the first-ever three dimensional (3D) seismic survey conducted by Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Ltd, a subsidiary of Petrobangla.

This unexplored reservoir was found at the eastern flank of the gas filed. Earlier, at the western flank, the Hydrocarbon Unit of the Petroleum Division identified 2 TCF gas reserve using 3D seismic survey.

According to the report of 3D seismic survey, BAPEX said that the actual reserve was 1.87 TCF.

Announcing the survey result, Petrobangla chairman Hossain Mansur said at a media call on Monday, "BAPEX found 2 gas reserves. In about 325 square kilometres area, at the western flank 1.87 TFC gas and at the eastern flank 967.2 BCF gas were found."

The Rashidpur Gas Field lies between Moulvibazar and Habiganj in Sylhet division and was first explored in 1960 by Shell, a British oil-gas exploration company.

Petrobangla took its control in 1975 and since then, 482 BCF gas has been lifted.

The chairman also said there was a slight possibility of exploring another 2.41 TFC gas in this field and this part was the most risky.

Rashidpur Gas Field has total reserve of 5.2 TCF gas, he added.

At present, Bangladesh has a reserve of 20.63 TCF gas, and about 9.43 TFC gas has been used until last December.

That leaves 11.20 TCF gas in store.

55 MMCF PRODUCTION

Hossain Mansur said at the Petrocentre, "Earlier, the Hydrocarbon Unit identified about 2 TFC gas, using 2D seismic survey."

BAPEX started using 3D seismic survey in May 11, 2010 and ran it through to June 2, 2011.

He also said 46 MMCF gas were lifted daily from four of seven wells in this gas field and technical faults has held them back from lifting gas from three other wells.

"During the survey, BAPEX found five levels 'potential' out of seven.
"We are set to drill three exploration wells and six development wells here. However, we are now planning to drill three wells at the western flank of Rashidpur to lift 55 MMCF gas a day," he said

At present, 2 BCF gas are being lifted daily against a demand of 2.5 BCF.

3D SURVEY IN 5 GAS FIELDS

Under the government's action plan, BAPEX conducted the survey titled as Appraisal of Gas Field (3D seismic survey) Project in collaboration with Sylhet Gas Fields Limited (SGFL) and Bangladesh Gas Fields Limited (BGFL) to discover unexplored gas fields and feed the increasing demand of gas.

Hossain Mansur said, "Under this project, BAPEX will carry 3D seismic survey in five gas fields. The estimated project cost is Tk 1.64 billion."

These fields are Titas, Bakhrabad, Haripur, Kailashtila and Rashidpur, of which Rashidpur, Haripur and Kailashtila explorations were completed at a cost of Tk 1.08 billion.

The findings on Haripur and Kailashtila will be disclosed soon, he added.

BAPEX also has plans to explore Sundalpur-Begumganj, Sunetra, Fenchuganj, Semutang and Shahbazpur gas fields within 2013-2016.

BAPEX managing director Martuza Ahmed Faroque and Appraisal of Gas Fields (3D Seismic Survey) Project director Anwarur Rahman were present at the briefing.
Apart from Rashidpur, Bapex has also completed 3D surveys at Kailashtila, Bakhrabad, Titas and Sylhet gas fields.

State-owned Petrobangla's subsidiary Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Ltd, or BGFCL, owns two fields -- Titas and Bakhrabad -- while Petrobangla's another subsidiary Sylhet Gas Field Ltd, or SGFL, holds three fields -- Rashidpur, Kailashtila and Sylhet.

Data interpretation of the 3D survey for the remaining fields will be completed soon.

BGFCL and SFGL are acting as the 'Executing Agency' in their respective gas fields while BAPEX is working as the 'Implementing Agency" for the whole project.

Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) is financing US$23 million project to complete 3D surveys in five prospective major Bangladesh gas fields by first half of 2013.

French Geophysical firm -- CGG Veritas -- has facilitated Bapex to conduct 3D seismic surveys.

All the five fields under the 3D survey programmes including that of Rashidpur gas field, were discovered during the 1960s but no extensive surveys were conducted before to confirm the exact size of their reserves.

Petrobangla officials said, initial recoverable reserves estimated in these fields were around 11 Tcf with over 7.0 Tcf already depleted after years of consumption