Well driiling and seismic survey in country's gas fields suspeneded

All types of drilling and seismic survey operations of state-run gas exploration companies have been suspended for 48 hours until 8 am on November 25 as a precautionary measure due to earthquake concerns.

State-run Petrobangla announced on Sunday the suspension of exploration activities to ensure the safety of the manpower involved in such jobs as well as for the sake of public interest, said a company press release.

If everything goes well, the drilling and seismic survey operations will resume at 8 am in the morning on November 25.

Until the suspension, the exploratory and work-over drillings were being carried out at Srikail-5, Habiganj-5, Kailashtila-1, Beanibazar-2, Sylhet-11, Sylhet-10X, and Rashidpur-11 wells.

Seismic survey operations were being carried out at Sonargaon in Narayanganj.

Earlier on Sunday morning, Power and Energy Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan said the 48-hour suspension has been imposed, considering the safety of the people involved with exploration as well as of the drilling rigs, as four earthquakes have already occurred within a very short span of time.

Dhaka and its adjoining districts have already been struck by four earthquakes in just 31 hours after the first one on Friday morning.

At least 10 people were killed and hundreds were injured after a powerful 5.7-magnitude earthquake jolted Bangladesh on 21 November, damaging multiple buildings in Dhaka and other districts.

Azizjst@yahoo.com