Besides Bhola, the government also wants to bring gas in the form of CNG (compressed natural gas) from Zokiganj. State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said that they are thinking about giving the work to Intraco Refueling Station PLC.
CNG is another form of natural gas which is lighter in weight than air compressed by pressure, liquefied and stored in tanks.
The state minister told Barta24.com that gas cannot be extracted from Zokiganj due to lack of pipelines. It was decided in principle when the matter came up following a proposal by Intraco. Now they have been asked to give detailed proposals. If you get a proposal, then you can tell what the price will be, how much they can bring.
Mohammad Riyad Ali, Managing Director of Intraco Refueling Station Plc was given to know about this. He did not receive the phone, he did not respond to the SMS.
Supply of gas in the form of CNG is not yet proven. Still it is in the planning stage. An agreement was signed with Intraco to bring surplus 25 million cubic feet (daily) of gas in the form of CNG from the Shahbazpur gas field in Bhola, island district. Although there is a surplus of gas in Shahbazpur, it cannot be brought due to lack of pipeline. The gas will be transported from Intraco Bhola and supplied to the industries in the area covered by Titas Gas.
In the signing ceremony of the agreement, the Prime Minister's advisor on electricity, energy and mineral resources Tawfiq-e-Ilahi Chowdhury said that this gas will be supplied to those areas where the problem of gas is more. It will not only increase the supply but also eliminate the crisis.
Intraco Refueling Station PLC will buy from Sundarban Gas Company Limited at the rate of Tk. 17 (per cubic meter) and sell at the rate of Tk. 47.60. A gazette in this regard has been published by the Energy and Mineral Resources Division though the company has not yet started that CNG. Sundarbans has not yet deposited the demand note money with the company. Sundarban Gas Company expects to start supplying 5 million per day by November.
On the other hand, in June 2021, the state-owned company Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (BAPEX) discovered the gas field in Jokiganj, Sylhet. It has been announced as the 28th gas field of Bangladesh. The pressure inside the well is 6 thousand psi (per square inch) and the floating pressure is more than 13 thousand. 68 BCF (billion cubic feet) gas reserves are estimated in 4 layers. Bapex expects to deliver 12 million cubic feet of gas per day from the well. Biyanibazar is 32 km away from this new field and Golapganj is 40 km away.
Even if BAPEX discovers a gas field, it will not be able to sell it to the public. Sylhet region distribution company to be sold to Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution System Limited (JGTDSL).
JGTDSL General Manager (Planning & IT Division) Engineer ABM Sharif told Barta24.com that several letters have been sent seeking Petrobangla's decision regarding pipeline construction. No decision yet. Further action will be taken after receiving instructions from Petrobangla. A 40 km pipeline is planned from Zokiganj to Golapganj.
In response to a question, he said that it will take 18 months to install the pipeline after approval. The pipe supply company will take up to 1 year. And installation may require 6 months. It has less complexity as there are no major rivers.
29 gas fields have been discovered in Bangladesh. Proved reserves in these fields are estimated at 20.55 tcf (trillion cubic feet), with potential and probable reserves estimated to be around 8 tcf. About 19 TCF of gas has been extracted so far. About 1 TCF of gas is being extracted every year leaving only 8 years of gas reserves. On October 9, 783.9 million cubic feet of gas was obtained from 70 wells of domestic companies, and 1306.5 million cubic feet of gas was obtained from 43 wells of IOC. 761.2 million cubic feet were supplied from imports on that day.