Semutang begins gas supply

Bapex starts supply; gas field can produce 15-18 million units -- only for Chittagong

Chittagong, Dec 4 (bdnews24.com)—Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (Bapex) has begun supplying gas from the Semutang Gas Field.

Bapex general manager (production) and project director Mohammad Shahiduzzaman Khan said the field begun supplying gas from 6:20pm Sunday.

He told bdnews24.com that the supply began after completing all tests and preparations. "Semutang gas will be supplied entirely to Chittagong," he said.

Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL) managing director Sanwar Hossain Chowdhury confirmed commencement of supply. "This gas field can produce 15-18 million units (1 cubic feet) every day, which only Chittagong will get," he said.

Shahiduzzaman said though Bapex has initiated supply, some problems have come up due to the unclean supply line of KGDCL.

The 'hydraulic test' of the gas connection line was successfully carried out on Nov 21.

Semutang gas field was discovered near Manikchharhi upazila in Khagrachharhi in 1967. The first four wells were drilled in 1969-70 by the then Pakistan Oil and Gas Development Company but were abandoned later.

The fifth well was drilled in 1997, which was also abandoned thereafter.

The caretaker government had approved the renovation of Semutang's fifth well and the Executive Committee of National Economic Council subsequently approved the work-over project, which cost approximately Tk 650 million, on May 22, 2008.

The project director said, "Gas will be taken from the fifth well, as there is no possibility to find gas in the other four. We have plans to drill another well in 2012."

KGDCL had begun building a 65-km pipeline on May 12 from the gas field connecting with Chittagong at Fawzi flower Mill near Chittagong Cantonment.

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