Sangu reserve to be known in 10-12 days

A Santos rig in the Bay of Bengal drilling for gas in Block-16. The photo was taken yesterday. Photo: Anurup Kanti Das

Australia-based Santos, which is drilling a well in the Bay of Bengal in search of gas, said it has to wait another 10 to 12 days for a result.
The oil and gas exploration company started the drilling at South Sangu-4, around five kilometres off the present Sangu gas field, on September 24 with jackup rig called Offshore Resolute brought from Singapore.
“The drilling needs around 10 to 12 days more to reach the targeted depth of approximately 3,600 to 3,800 metres and know if there is any reserve,” said ABA Siraj Uddowlah, vice president (government and public affairs) of Santos Bangladesh, yesterday.
If gas was found in this well, another one month would be required to determine the total deposit, and another one and a half years to set up a platform and underwater pipeline to bring gas ashore, he said.
He is talking to a team of journalists visiting the rig, around 45 kilometres from the shore.
“The work is going on smoothly and we are getting all sorts of support from the government,” said Siraj.
On completion of the South Sangu exploration, the rig would be moved to another Sangu 11 well where the drilling is scheduled to start towards the end of November.
Santos' Senior Drilling Engineer Hasnain Ibrahim Babu said they had drilled upto 2,235 metres till yesterday.
Aiming at increasing gas supply to industries in Chittagong, Santos took a $126 million project for drilling South Sangu-4, Sangu 11 and Sangu North East wells in Block 16 of the Bay.
On average, 90 persons from different countries work at the rig every day while two officials from Petrobangla and Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company remain present as observers.