Heavy equipment and technical gear are being brought to the site as Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (BAPEX) prepares to begin controlled extraction of natural gas that has been burning for 18 days in Inani, Ukhia.
The gas began emerging from underground during the drilling of a deep tube well in the area. BAPEX is now preparing to control the gas flow and assess its commercial potential.
Lorries and cranes began transporting heavy equipment, pipes and other drilling and gas-extraction gear to the site on Friday morning.
Sources concerned said controlled drilling and technical operations could begin at any time after the necessary preparations are completed.
Ukhia Upazila Nirbahi Officer Panna Akter said the administration had been closely monitoring the situation since gas began emerging from the tube well and caught fire.
Section 144 was imposed immediately to prevent risks to public safety, including possible explosions and landslides. Fire service personnel and law enforcement agencies have since been maintaining security at the site.
She said a high-level BAPEX expert team was working at the site to assess ways to control the fire and examine gas pressure, flow, geological conditions, and possible methods of safely extracting the gas.
BAPEX geologist Nasir Uddin said long-term monitoring had found the gas flow and pressure to be stable. He said a policy decision had been taken on how to control the fire safely and subsequently explore the possibility of commercial extraction.
Experts believe there may be a significant gas reserve underground at Inani. The continued release of gas at a relatively stable pressure and flow for 18 days indicates the possibility of a substantial reserve.
However, the actual volume of the reserve and its commercial viability cannot be confirmed without geological surveys, seismic studies and further testing.
Bangladesh currently has 30 officially discovered gas fields, around 20 of which are producing commercially. Gas from fields including Titas, Habiganj, Bibiyana, Kailashtila, Rashidpur, Beanibazar, Fenchuganj, Jalalabad, Semutang, Bangura, Shahbazpur, Sundalpur, Srikail, Shahjadpur and Bhola North is supplied to the national grid.
If sufficient reserves are confirmed and commercial extraction proves feasible, officials said the Inani site could be considered the country’s 31st gas field.
Such a development could strengthen Bangladesh’s energy security and help reduce dependence on imported energy.
The gas began emerging and caught fire on October 27 while a deep tube well was being drilled at Chhoto Inani in Jaliapalong Union, from a depth of around 1,000 feet.
BAPEX, Petrobangla and the local administration have since been jointly monitoring the situation and maintaining safety measures.
Cox’s Bazar Life Report
Photo: Courtesy
