Gas flow detected in BAPEX’s new exploration well in Noakhali

The country may be on the verge of discovering its 31st gas field, as the state-run Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (Bapex) has detected gas flow in a newly drilled well in Companiganj upazila of Noakhali. Gas flow was confirmed during a Drill Stem Test (DST) at the Sundalpur South-1 exploration well in Rampur union on Monday.

The presence of gas was experimentally confirmed around 12:30pm by igniting gas flowing from the wellhead, said Md Mozammel Haque, project director of Bapex's Sundalpur South-1 Exploration Well Drilling Project. He said drilling at the well began on 12 July and reached a depth of 3,290 metres. Gas-bearing layers were detected at depths ranging from 2,551 to 2,557 metres.

Haque said gas was ignited at the wellhead after noon during the DST to verify the flow.

However, it will take another two to three days to determine the total gas reserves and the volume of gas that can be extracted daily. Various tests are underway, followed by an analysis of the results, he added. The project director expressed optimism about finding a substantial gas reserve in the well. He said initiatives would be taken to construct a pipeline quickly once the commercial viability of the gas was established. Following the pipeline connection, the extracted gas could be supplied to the national grid. Officials involved in the project said the discovery has raised the possibility of establishing the country's 31st gas field.

Earlier, Bapex drilled three wells, Sundalpur-1, Sundalpur-2 and Sundalpur-3, in the Sirajpur area of Companiganj upazila under the same gas field. The newly drilled well, named Sundalpur South-1 in company records, is located in Rampur union of the same upazila.

Describing the discovery as a significant achievement for the district and the national economy, Companiganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Masudur Rahman said, “The discovery of gas at the Sundalpur South-1 well in Rampur Union is undoubtedly encouraging news.”

He expressed optimism that the well could yield a substantial volume of gas daily, which, once connected to the national grid, would make a significant contribution to the country's economy.