The New Nation - Internet Edition

A.T.M.Nurun Nabi

The proven gas reserve in Bangladesh is 15.189 TCF, 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, which is likely to exhaust by 2011.

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, Bakhrabad, Moulvi Bazar and Jalalalabad four each, Kailastila and Feni three each, Sylhet, Beani Bazar and Fenchuganj two each, Salda River two, Narshingdi, Bangura and Meghna one each. The Begumganj, Samutang, Shahbazpur and Bibiana Gas Fields are not in operation at the moment while that at Chhatak and Kanta are under suspension.

The position of three largest gas fields is as under in BCF:

Power plants used 247.80 BCF of gas during the fiscal 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 is: 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 probably 291.60 BCF, 136.50 BCF, 112.50 BCF and 79.10 BCF respectively.

The experts view if no substitute energy is explored in Bangladesh, a large number of the power plants, the fertiliser factories, the industries and the residential houses will be automatically shut down, resulting in the great disaster for the nation.

In such situation, the government must find out substitute energy either by exploring new gas fields in the mainland or in the off shore islands. As the matter is too costly and needs high technology, it is hard for the government alone to do the job.

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 there is allegation that a foreign company, which had no past experience, was able to sign deal with the government in exploring gas field. 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 this backdrop, experts say that the ministry of power and energy needs to be cautious about finding out the substitute sources of energy to keep the country's economy on run. They further claim that Bangladesh cannot accede to any guarantee clause of supplying gas to any foreign company for investment of any amount when its own gas reserve may exhaust by 2011.