Online Desk: With sincere efforts, the government has added 18 million cubic feet gas per day to the national grid from Rashidpur Gas Field successfully and its production has increased to 66 million cubic feet.

“Gas supply has started from well-2 and well-9 of Rashidpur gas field. It will supply more than 18 million cubic feet gas per day. Now the production of the gas field has increased to 66 million cubic feet,” State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid told this after inaugurating the gas supply from Well-2 and well-9 of Rashidpur Gas Field here.

Chairman of the Petrobangla Janendra Nath Sarkar, Managing Director of Sylhet Gas Field Company Mizanur Rahman and concerned officials were accompanied with the minister.

Nasrul Hamid said that extraction of gas from well-2 was stopped for a long time, but the gas was found through work-over of the well, adding, “Eight million cubic feet of gas is available from the well, which is very rare to get this amount through work-over. While well-9 was a new but gas could not be extracted due to lack of pipelines.”

“Sylhet Gas Field Company took up the 17-km pipeline project as the existing line up to Rashidpur-7 well was unusable. The hydro test in July 2022 revealed that the existing pipe was fit for use. After that, it was decided to install a 10-km pipe line (Rashidpur-9) to hook the existing line at well-6,” Managing Director of the company Mizanur Rahman said.

He said Rashidpur Gas Field was discovered in 1960 and its reserve was 1060 billion cubic feet, but probable gas is considered 1373 BCF and more gas is considered for 680 BCF.

According to Petrobangla, Rashidpur Gas Field has 11 wells, of which gas is available in nine wells. At present 66.3 million cubic feet of gas is being extracted from seven wells.

Earlier, the State Minister inaugurated the Mashud Ali Model Petrol Pump- on Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Osmani Nagar here this morning.

He said the government has taken initiative to set up model petrol pumps across the country, adding, “But the existing petrol pumps will not be shut down right now, but we suggested them to come forward.”

During the opening of the pump, State Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury, Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, lawmaker Habibur Rahman Habib and others were present.

The state minister is on a three-day official visit to Sylhet region for inspecting drilling wells in some gas fields and process plants etc. On February 17, he visited the exploration well-8 of Kailashtila excavation project, visited the head office of Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution System Limited, Bangabandhu Corner and inaugurated the prepaid meter project data center.