Published : 30 Oct 2026, 02:48 PM
Updated : 30 Oct 2026, 02:47 PM
State-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (BAPEX) has warned of danger in trying to force out the gas fire in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya.
The gas leaked underground at Inani while a tube well was being drilled.
Experts say the fire must burn until the gas flow stops naturally, as putting it out could let gas build up and cause a big explosion.
SM Nafefun Arham, BAPEX manager (geology) and head of its geological survey team, advised taking necessary steps with caution.
Ukhiya Upazila administrator (UNO) and executive magistrate Panna Akter has imposed Section 144 within 200m of the site from Thursday night to protect locals.
On Oct 27, a borehole about 1,000ft deep was dug in the yard of Mohammad Abdullah’s house in Jaliapalong Union’s Chhoto Inani for a tube well.
After the pipes and drilling equipment were pulled out without finding water, gas and water began to flow, and the gas caught fire. It has burned since.
Why the Fire Can’t Be Put Out
Arham said gas under intense pressure and heat rises through weak soil layers or cracks once it finds a way out. “Normally, wells are drilled in oil and gas exploration so that gas escapes along a set path. But the Inani incident is uncontrolled, which makes it hard to manage.
“This has become uncontrolled. We did not want it, but it happened. That is why an uncontrolled well and a shallow-depth well are hard to control.”
In drilling, he said, special arrangements control the gas flow and excess gas is burned off at a fixed spot. Here the emission is beyond control.
Attempts to seal the vent with sand or otherwise have made gas emerge at new spots.
“If we try to shut it by force, the risk of backfiring is very high. Gas could build up and cause a big explosion.”
The official cited Haripur, Magurchhara and Tengratila in Sylhet. At Haripur, drilling equipment melted in the intense heat during a blowout.
The gas may keep escaping until the underground reservoir runs dry, he said. For now BAPEX’s decision is to keep the situation under watch and avoid loss of life and property.
Petrobangla’s Directive
Petrobangla has issued a safety directive. An urgent notice signed by Md Shoyeb, its director (operations and mines), asks the Cox’s Bazar deputy commissioner to take necessary steps.
Public entry and presence are banned within a 50-m radius of the gas vent. Fires, smoking, matches and lighters are banned within 100m.
Within 200m, any new gas leaks must be monitored with BAPEX experts present.
The fire must not be put out or blocked in any way, the directive says. Obstruction could let gas build up and explode at high pressure, damaging a large area.
The emission will be observed for 15 days initially to see whether the flow weakens and stops naturally. If it does not, further steps will follow on expert advice.
Power lines within 100m of the no-fire zone are to be monitored round the clock.
Ban on Fires, Smoking
The Ukhiya Upazila administration’s order says the fire started when gas escaped as a pipe was driven about 1,000ft underground. A technical team that visited found early signs of a natural gas reserve.
To avoid accidents, public entry and presence within 200m of the fire source are banned until further notice.
Lighting fires, smoking and using matches or lighters, or any act that could produce a spark, are banned in the surrounding area. Violators of the Section 144 order will face legal action.
Gas Samples
BAPEX experts have collected rock and water samples from the site, but could not collect gas samples because the flow has spread to several spots.
Arham said the samples will be tested at BAPEX’s laboratory. Without the results, nothing certain can be said about the gas’s composition or nature.
The incident is important for exploration, he said. Geological and geophysical surveys could give an idea of the reservoir’s size and likely reserve.
According to him, it is too early to conclude on the reserve or commercial extraction.
The fire has also raised concerns over local safety and power supply.
A 33kV transmission line has developed faults after contact with the fire, and the power division is building an alternative line to restore normal supply.
