Online Desk: The state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (Bapex) has  successfully begun extraction of gas from a well at Ilisha in Bhola district on an experimental basis. After working one and a half months, the gas extraction from Ilisha Well-1 was confirmed at about 7:00am on Friday.

Bapex general manager of Geophysical Department Md Alamgir Hossain confirmed the matter. He has estimated that at the beginning 20 to 22 million cubic feet (mmcf) of gas will be available from the well daily, with 180 to 220 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas reserves. However, further testing will be conducted to determine the actual production per day. The gas reserves in these wells are 1.7 trillion cubic feet (tcf).

Gazprom, a Russian state-owned enterprise, operating under the auspices of Bapex, started exploration at Ilisha-1 well, adjacent to Malerhat in Paschim Ilisha union under Sadar upazila in Bhola district on March 8 last. The company started the exploration according to the design and lcoation of Bapex.

Bapex is looking at the potential of 180 to 200 bcf of gas reserves in the well. If everything goes well, the company will officially extract the gas on May 15. It is estimated that 20 to 22 million cubic feet of gas will be found in the well daily. So far, nine wells have been drilled in two separate gas fields named Shahbazpur and Bhola North in the district.

Bapex has confirmed that the total gas reserves in these wells are 1.7 trillion cubic feet. Before this, on March 9, a delegation from Bapex started the excavation work at Ilisha-1 well. The drilling was successfully completed on April 24 through Drill Stem State at three levels. The government has taken various steps for production of gas in order to alleviate the domestic energy crisis. In light of this, the Geological Department of Bapex will conduct a new oil-gas exploration next October to verify the gas potential.

Bapex Geological Department General Manager Alamgir Hossain said: “Now the testing is going on, gas has been found at a depth of 3,475 metres which is spread over about 4 square kilometres.” In 1994-95, gas was found for the first time in Shahbajpur, Bhola. Businessmen and industrialists of Bhola are seeing the possibility of establishing big industries in the district owing to the discovery of gas fields one after another.