The recoverable gas reserves in the Shahbazpur, Bhola, and Ilisha gas fields stand at 1.262tcf (trillion cubic feet), after production of 0.17 TCF natural gas, according to fiscal year data.
The reserve measured considering 2P recoverable gas reserve with 70 percent of gas initially in place (GIIP).
On September 16, 2024 media reports claiming that Bhola’s gas reserves total 5.109 trillion cubic feet (TCF) that termed ‘misleading’.
Country’s leading energy expert Prof M Tamim of BUET, said some newspaper published misleading news on gas reserve in Bhola as the reports have no clarity between ‘recoverable reserve’ and ‘gas resources’.
He said the seismic survey is done first to determine gas reserves. “We have able to declare recoverable gas or proven 2P gas after drilling well,” according to him.
“We do not account any gas as reserves unless it is proven. The announcement of the resource is misleading.”
Bhola has a total gas reserve of 2.047tcf (GIIP) without accounting Charfashion.
Badrul Imam said that the new of finding 5tcf gas in Bhola is misleading.
Another energy expert Prof Dr Mahbubur Rahman of BUET said the report of gas reserve is ‘unrealistic’ as the government has yet to conduct any 3D seismic survey at Charfashan area in Bhola.
A seismic data analysis report, jointly prepared by state-owned BAPEX and Russian Gazprom, examined the southern part of Bhola district, specifically in Charfashan area.
The newspaper reports highlighting a potential recoverable gas resource is 5.109 TCF with a 10 percent probability in Bhola.
“Proven reserves cannot be established without a detailed 3D seismic survey and further well drilling in the Bhola and Charfashan prospects,” the energy experts said.
Power, Energy, Rail, Road Transport, and Bridges adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said, “If we can discover 5.1 tcf recoverable gas from Bhola then Bangladesh will not require to imported LNG.”
So, we requested to experts for finding out solution about the news stories, he said. “We have a plan to conduct 3D seismic survey in coming days to find out the actual recoverable reserve in Bhola,” he said.
A proposal to drill four wells was approved yesterday, he said.
“We have also taken the initiative to dig 100 more wells to produce more gas from local fields,” he said.
