At least three possible onshore gas fields and three wells have remained “forced idle” for years due to cases pending with local and international courts, slowing down the much-needed oil-gas discovery. Inadequate exploration in potential gas fields is aggravating the country’s energy crisis with a growing dependency on expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG). The idle gas fields are Feni, Chhatak and Kamta, and the wells are Begumganj-04, Motherganj-01 and Bangora north.
Energy experts blame a weak move by the government to settle the long-pending court issues. It has been an abnormally long time since the gas fields are kept idle. To meet the current energy crisis, the government must keep these fields and wells on a priority list for exploration. Steps are taken to initiate exploration of these fields as soon as possible to tackle the looming energy crisis.
Officials say necessary excavations in onshore fields Feni, Chhatak and Kamta were halted in 2005 following two back-to-back blowouts at Chhatak gas field, also known as Tengratila field, 2005. Canadian firm Niko Resources’s exploration job in Bangladesh was stopped following the blowouts, which resulted in a row over payment of gas sales and compensation for blowouts. After over a decade of trial, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in its verdict made Niko liable for the two consecutive blowouts. Bangladesh submitted claims for a total loss of $1.014 billion to the ICSID — $896 million as the loss of government and $118 million as the loss of Bapex.
Currently, the country’s overall natural gas production is around 3,000 mmcfd, including the supply of regasified LNG to the tune of around 700 mmcfd. Against the low production and high demand, Bangladesh requires excavation gas from all wells and exploring offshore mines. We cannot afford the luxury of putting gas wells idle. The government should reinforce BAPEX to explore more and more pits to meet the growing demand for natural fuel.
