The country is likely to get 300 million cubic feet of new gas per day (mmcfd) from Chevron’s ongoing expansion project at Bibiyana field.
Sources at the energy sector said the US-based international oil company’s $500-million expansion work is nearing its target and expected to be completed by the end of 2014, raising the prospect of getting new gas.
According to the sources, over 60 percent of the expansion has so far been completed.
Officials believe that the bulk new gas will play a major role in resolving the country’s nagging energy crisis for which many industries and power sector are suffering a lot.
Last year, Chevron announced the Bibiyana expansion plan — the processing plant adding two new trains with capacity of 150 mmcfd each and setting up of enhanced gas-to-liquids recovery unit and drilling of four new development wells.
In addition to the four new wells under the expansion project, Chevron is also engaged in drilling another seven new development wells. Of the seven wells, six have been completed and one is currently underway.
However, the benefit of Chevron’s new gas delivery will largely depend on timely completion of Bibiyana-Dhanua pipeline, now being implemented by the state-owned Gas Transmission Company Limited (GTCL).
Talking about the gas pipeline project as the largest one in the subcontinent, Petrobangla chairman Dr Hussain Monsur said he is hopeful of completing its construction work by next year.
According to Petrobangla’s website, Bibiyana is the largest gas-producing field currently producing 850 mmcf gas per day among the country’s total 22 gas fields.
The expansion programme, considered as the largest foreign investment project in the country’s energy history, is expected to increase Bibiyana’s production by 35 percent. This will also boost production of 4,000 barrels of liquid fuel (condensate) worth about $175MM a year at the current import prices.