Petrobangla ready to supply gas to Rajshahi, Natore: official

Petrobangla is ready to supply gas to the northwestern districts of Rajshahi and Natore, a top official said yesterday.
“But the government will decide when to start gas supply to the two districts,” said Prof Md Hossain Monsur, chairman of the Bangladesh Mineral Oil and Gas Corporation (Petrobangla).
Also, the state-run agency plans to supply gas to Khulna before the tenure of the present government expires, Monsur told reporters at his office in Dhaka in his briefing on the development of the gas sector in the last three years.
The Petrobangla chief said Bangladesh must explore alternative energy sources in coal, nuclear and renewable energies as the country's natural gas reserve is drying up fast. "After 2021 our gas reserve could dry up. We have little potential too."
The country has consumed 10.74 trillion cubic feet of gas as of 2011 out of its proven and probable reserves of 20.61 tcf.
There are 24 gas fields in Bangladesh. Of them, 18 are operative producing 2,249 mmcfd from 81 wells. The country now produces 2,064mmcfd of gas against the demand of over 2,500mmcfd, according to Monsur.
The government will be able to add 900mmcfd of gas in 2012, he added.
Petrobangla plans to contract out 10 gas wells to Russia's Gazprom, the largest extractor of natural gas in the world, for adding 300mmcfd gas to the national grid, as the skilled officials of Bapex are overburdened with responsibility. "We will sign an agreement with Gazprom to this effect."
Of the fields, Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Ltd (Bapex) owns five, Sylhet Gas Field Company owns four and Bangladesh Gas Company Ltd owns the rest one.
"We have two zones in the Salda river from where we are now producing 10mmcfd of gas, which can be raised to 30mmcfd provided we set up process plant, separator and compressor first," he said.
He said Petrobangla is trying hard to give more gas for producing electricity.
At present, power plants get a supply of 715 million cubic feet of gas a day against the demand of 920mmcfd. The gas shortage causes 500 to 700 MW less power generation, according to Power Development Board (PDB).
Monsur also disagreed with the PDB's plan to generate 7,000 megawatt of electricity from gas as part of its plan to produce 16,000 MW of electricity by 2016. "If anybody gives such commitment he or she has to do so under own responsibility."
He said the government has to take the ultimate decision whether it would resume providing new gas connection to households. He also admitted that the number of illegal gas lines in the country has increased sharply.
“We have formed a taskforce to disconnect illegal connections. Our officials also came under attack when they went to disconnect the unauthorised connections."