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Bangladesh has a gas-prone petroleum system |
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February 15, 2001
Dhaka-- (UNB)- Bangladesh may have 32.1 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered technically recoverable gas, says a Bangladesh-US joint study. Of the figure assessed by Petrobangla/USGS Natural Gas Assessments, 23.8 TCF is recoverable from onshore and 8.8 TCF from offshore. The prospect ranges between 8.4 TCF and 66.7 TCF with the mean assessment of 32.1 TCF, experts from Petrobangla and USGS told a formal presentation of study findings at the Petrobangla here today. They said the estimates are scientifically based and more data intensive utilising current data than prior assessment. Although mean estimates are comparable to previous assessment, onshore and offshore allocations are very different. Speaking on the occasion, Energy Secretary Akmal Hossain said the assessment is highly probabilistic, not deterministic. Petrobangla Chairman Mosharraf Hossain said the study was jointly carried out by experts of Petrobangla and USGS on the data available here. A group of Bangladeshi experts earlier traveled to the USA and analysed the data with US experts. Members of the joint study team said they divided Bangladesh into six assessment units chiefly based on geological structures. Two of the units, which already house major gas fields, have enough potentials while four others involve high risks and low prospects. In a broader perspective, eastern part of the country has better prospects of hydrocarbon than the western part. "We've a very good and active petroleum system, as all the units have required elements," said Petrobangla geologist Dr M Ismail, who worked with US Geological Survey experts in the joint study team. He, however said, assessment unit 1 in the Surma basin or greater Sylhet offers high potential of hydrocarbon reserves. Unit 2 in the hills of the easternmost extremely folded belt involves high risk, but has good chance, he added. Unit 3 has lower risk and houses a gas field now. Unit 4 covering central part and southern coasts has a number of gas fields both onshore and offshore. Although units 5 (western sole) and 6 (western platform) covering north and southwestern regions offer very low possibility and involve risks, Dr Ismail did not entirely rule out the prospects as there has not been any major seismic survey in that region. Drilling one well and finding it dry does not prove that the entire unit is barren, he argued. He, however, cited a negative indication as 60 wells drilled in the Indian side found dry. Allocations for units, as assessed in the study, are 8.1 TCF in the Surma Basin (unit 1), 0.5 TCF in the easternmost extremely folded belt (unit 2), 1.8 TCF in the high amplitude faulted anticlines (unit 3), 19 TCF in the moderately folded anticlines (unit 4), 2.9 TCF in the western slope (unit 5) and 0.4 TCF in the western platform (unit 6). USGS expert Thomas S Ahlbrandt said Bangladesh has a gas-prone petroleum system. He said the objective of the study was to provide an impartial and scientifically based assessment of undiscovered gas resources in Bangladesh. Briefly stating the functions of the USGS, a 125-years old US independent agency for scientific research, Zean Whitney made it clear that they do not set policies, nor they regulate oil and gas companies. They just provide objective data for decision-makers, he added. Responding to a query, a USGS expert said their findings are not intended to benefit the international oil companies, although those in fact benefit the IOCs in designing their work plans. Sometimes IOCs voluntarily make available some information to USGS, he added. Timothy R Klett of USGS explained the methodology they used in the study. The assessment methodology was the same used in the World Energy Outlook 2000 and is more rigorous and data intensive, the USGS experts said. |