A new gas discovery in Bhola has raised hopes of easing the country's energy crisis, with the latest well expected to produce 20 to 25 million cubic feet of gas a day.
The first Drill Stem Test (DST) of the Bhola North-3 well began at 8:20am on Sunday, according to Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (BAPEX).
The state-owned company expects the well to produce 20 to 25 million cubic feet of gas daily, although its actual production capacity and reserves will be determined after the tests are complete.
The discovery has also raised hopes among local residents of industrial development, employment opportunities and economic growth in the coastal district.
They believe that properly utilising Bhola's gas resources and connecting them to the national grid could help meet the country's energy needs while attracting gas-based industries to the region.
According to BAPEX, the first gas discovery in Bhola was made in Borhanuddin upazila in 1995. Since then, nine wells have been drilled across three gas fields in Borhanuddin and Bhola Sadar upazilas.
The latest well, Bhola North-3, is located in Jangalia village under Paschim Ilisa Union of Bhola Sadar. Drilling began on September 9 and was carried out by Chinese company Sinopec under BAPEX supervision.
The well has been drilled to a depth of 3,526 metres. Perforation work was completed on Saturday, while preliminary pressure tests on the testing string and surface flowlines produced satisfactory results.
BAPEX officials said the final production estimate would be determined by analysing gas flow and well pressure data collected during the DST.
Engineer Mohammad Ahsanul Amin, general manager and project director of BAPEX, said gas had been detected in three separate geological layers during drilling.
Preliminary observations indicate that the well could produce 20 to 22 million cubic feet of gas daily, he said, adding that the actual production capacity would be confirmed after the tests.
He said the nine existing wells in Bhola have a combined production capacity of 182 million cubic feet per day, while their total estimated gas reserves stand at around two trillion cubic feet (TCF).
At present, around 70 to 75 million cubic feet of gas is being extracted daily from the Shahbazpur gas field.
Amin said BAPEX is implementing a project to drill five wells. If the expected gas is found in the five wells, Bhola's total daily production capacity could increase by around 100 million cubic feet to 282 million cubic feet.
Meanwhile, local residents have welcomed the latest development, hoping that the gas resources will be used to establish industries and create jobs.
They said connecting Bhola's gas to the national grid would help address the country's energy shortage and support industrial development in the district.
Bhola Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sajal Kumar Das described the discovery as a positive development.
He said supplying Bhola's gas to the national grid would help meet the country's energy demand, keep industries running and boost economic activities.
He urged the government to take prompt steps to connect the district's gas resources to the national grid.