A fire caused by gas escaping from underground during tube-well installation in Inani, Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, continued for a sixth consecutive day on Sunday, even as three days of a 15-day monitoring period announced by authorities had already passed.
The Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (Bapex) and Petrobangla are not taking any immediate steps to extinguish the fire.
Officials said they would assess the gas flow and flames during the 15-day monitoring period before deciding on further action.
If the situation does not improve, they may drill a relief well to stop the gas flow.
Gas continued to escape from the site until Sunday night.
The upazila administration has imposed restrictions under Section 144, barring people from entering or staying within 200 metres of the site over fears of a possible accident.
The monitoring period began three days ago, officials said. A Bapex team visited the site on Sunday evening.
Earlier, on Friday, Petrobangla Director (Operations and Mines) Engineer Mohammad Shoaib and other officials inspected the area.
Nasir Uddin, manager of Bapex’s geological division, said the gas was initially believed to be formation gas.
“We are still monitoring the gas situation. Water was observed at the site today (Sunday). The presence of water may gradually stop the gas flow, but further observation is needed to confirm this,” he said.
He said the gas had been found at a depth of around 300 metres, making it difficult to control. Managing gas flows at depths of 2,000 to 4,000 metres is generally easier, he added.
Nasir said a committee formed by Petrobangla and Bapex would monitor the situation for 15 days before deciding on the next steps.
Nurul Amin, a shopkeeper near the site, said the continuous fire had caused concern among around 400 families in the Inani Chhota Khal and Shafibil areas.
He called for stronger security measures and restrictions on public access to prevent a possible accident.
Petrobangla Director Mohammad Shoaib had earlier said initial observations suggested that the fire was being fuelled by shallow underground gas deposits or a shallow reservoir.
The black colour of the flames had also raised the possibility of oil or condensate escaping alongside the gas.
However, further monitoring was needed to establish the composition, source and volume of the emission.
He said that if the flames remained unchanged or intensified after the 15-day monitoring period, authorities might consider drilling a relief well using side-tracking technology.
If the gas flow decreased or stopped during the period, further action would be decided according to the situation.
By Tarekur Rahman
Photo: Tarekur Rahman
