The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The proven gas reserve in Bangladesh is 15.189 TCF, which is likely to exhaust by 2011, according to Bangladesh Economic Survey and the experts. Till date, the cumulative production being 6.793 TCF, the gas in hand stands at 8.396 TCF.

In the country, there are 67 wells in 16 fields at present. These are Titas Gas Field having 16 wells followed by Habiganj with nine, Rashidpur seven, Sangu six, Bakharabad, Moulvi Bazar and Jalalabad four each, Kailastika and Feni three each, Sylhet Beani Bazar and Fenchuganj two each, Salda River two while Narshingdi, Bangura and Meghna one each. The Begumganj, Samutang, Shahbazpur and Bibiana gas fields are not in operation at the moment while the operation at Chhatak and Kanta are under suspension. The sector-wise demand of gas was as under:

Power plants used 247.80 BCF of gas during the fiscal year of 2006-07 followed by fertiliser factories 98.91 BCF, industries 76.99 BCF and residential houses 65.41 BCF. The estimated use of gas in the FY 2007-08: Power plants 268.30 BCF, fertiliser factories 107.30 BCF, industries 86.00 BCF and residential houses 72 BCF while during the FY 2008-09 the probable use of gas in these four sectors are taken to be 291.60 BCF, 136.50 BCF, 112.50 BCF and 79.10 BCF respectively.

The experts are of the opinion if no substitute energy is explored in Bangladesh, a large number of the power plants, the fertiliser factories, the industries, gas stations and the residential houses will be automatically shut down, resulting in the great disaster for the country's economic development. The proven and the probable gas reserve are taken to be 13.6 TCF, which too is likely to be exhausted by 2015. In this regard, it may be said that between the years 1991 and 1996 eight gas fields were leased to the foreign companies, overlooking the working capacities of BAPEX. The tragedy continued when six more were leased to the foreign companies between the years 1996 and 2001. Even one company, which had no past experience, was one of these fortunate foreign companies. According to the available reports, BAPEX has achieved 50 percent success in digging wells so far whereas the foreign companies have scored 10 percent only.

In his backdrop, the experts further opine that the ministry of power and energy must find out the substitute of' the gas to keep the country's economy on run. They further say that Bangladesh cannot accede to any guarantee clause of supplying gas to any foreign company in lieu of investment of any amount when the future of its own industries might be in danger from or after 2011.