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State-run energy explorer has chalked out a mega programme to boost hydrocarbon discovery using the latest technology.
The Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Ltd, or Bapex, will carry out action plans under its short, medium and long term strategy to lift existing natural gas output and will carry out work to delineate new hydrocarbon reserves for meeting future demand
The country's lone oil and gas exploration firm has planned to apply new unconventional method for the first time to enhance the country's overall natural gas while ensuring smooth supply of natural gas to consumers.
It has also planned to drill new exploratory wells, development wells and carry out work-over in old gas wells as part of its work plan until 2041.
Bapex will also upgrade the existing rigs and purchase new ones to accelerate the pace of well drilling.
The agency has divided its overall plan into three phases: the short term from 2019 through 2021, the medium term between 2022 and 2030 and the long term in the 10 years through 2041.
The government aims to graduate to a developed nation status by 2041 and the Bapex's development plan coincides with this mega plan.
When contacted, Bapex's managing director Mir Md Abdul Hannan said, "We have undertaken a programme to find out new hydrocarbon reserves as well as boost the existing gas output adopting some unconventional method such as horizontal drilling, mechanical and chemical fracturing, etc."
Developing skilled manpower and introducing state-of-the-art technology in exploration is also the target, he said.
It has planned to drill some three dozens of exploratory wells, two dozens of development wells and carry out work-over of old wells.
It has also planned to carry out some 20,000 kilomeres of 2D, or two dimensional, seismic survey, 4,000 square kilometers of 3D survey and geological survey in an an area of 2,000 kilometres by 2041.
Praising the Bapex's plan, Dr Badrul Imam of Geology Department of Dhaka University said, "Natural gas output from any producing well can be increased by 10 times if horizontal drilling is carried out."
Mechanical and chemical fracturing of rock or tight gas sand is also a proven technology to boost natural gas output, he said.
Many developed countries, especially Canada, has increased their hydrocarbon output several times utilising horizontal drilling and mechanical fracturing, Mr Imam added.
Field condition and reserve status of Canadian fields are inferior to those of Bangladesh, he added.
Dr Ijaz Hossain of Chemical Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology laid stress on Bapex's consistent work to increase the overall gas output as well as to sustain the existing production level.
He also favoured allocating more fund to Bapex to carry out its planned exploration activities.
The country's overall natural gas output hovers around 3,184 million cubic feet a day, of which 2,622 mmcfd come from local gas fields and the remaining 559 mmcfd come as re-gasified LNG after imports, according to Petrobangla statistics as on September 26.
The entire natural gas production comes from local onshore gas fields.
Bapex is currently producing around 112 mmcfd of gas from eight of its active gas fields.