Bangladesh begins deep drilling at Titas to add 15mmcfd gas to national grid

Petrobangla plans to drill 50 exploration wells this year alone

Drilling has commenced for the country’s first deep exploration well at the Titas Gas Field in Brahmanbaria, a move expected to add 15 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcfd) to the national grid.

AKM Mizanur Rahman, director (finance) of Petrobangla, inaugurated the drilling operations at the Budhal area in Brahmanbaria Sadar Upazila on Sunday afternoon.

The Titas Gas Field, operated by the Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited (BGFCL), currently supplies approximately 325 mmcfd from 22 active wells.

The field has faced a steady decline in both reserves and pressure over decades of extraction, leading to a drop in overall production.

To counter this, BGFCL initiated a 3D seismic survey, which identified the potential for deep-seated reserves.

This has led to the current project, which involves drilling two deep exploration wells -- one in Titas and another in Bakhrabad.

The new Titas well will reach a depth of 5,600 metres, significantly deeper than traditional wells in the region.

Chinese firm Chuanqing Drilling Engineering Company Limited (CCDC) is handling the drilling operations.

The project is estimated to take around seven months to complete.

BGFCL Managing Director Md Abdul Jalil Pramanik described the deep-well project as a "milestone" for the country's energy sector.

He said successful extraction from these depths could significantly alleviate the ongoing fuel crisis.

AKM Mizanur Rahman added that Petrobangla has a broader plan to drill 50 wells within this year to ensure national energy security.

He emphasised exploring domestic energy sources has become critical given the global instability and conflict in the Middle East