Rashidpur Gasfield: Drilling of well 5 to take 90 days

SYLHET, Jan 6: Drilling of Well No 5 at Rashidpur Gasfield in Habiganj district began yesterday.

The programme is being implemented by the Sylhet Gas Fields Company Limited under its drilling component - the Gas Infrastructure Development Project (GIDP) with World Bank/IDA credit.

Under the project, two other wells - Rashidpur No 6 and Rashidpur No 7 will be drilled in the same structure, company officials said.

Drilling of Well No 5 began with a target depth of about 9500 feet in 90 days. Then, drilling of Well No 7 will begin at a distance of about 13 km from Well No 5. Well No 6 will be drilled at another location which is about 6 km off the Well No 7. Drilling of these three would be completed by November this year, the officials expected.

The approximate reserve in these wells would be 1.32 trillion cft, they said adding that the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) of India has been entrusted with the task of drilling under a contract signed on May 27 of 1998.

Drilling of the three wells will cost Tk 124 crore including Tk 83 crore 40 lakh in foreign currency. On successful completion of drilling of the wells, about 90 mmcfd gas and 72 barrels of motor spirit and condensate will be produced every day. After processing, the gas will be supplied to the National Grid, the officials said.

To process this gas, 2 silica gel plants of 45 mmcfd capacity each will be installed at a nearby location under the "GIDP-Surface Facilities Component" of the same World Bank/IDA credit programme. Measures have been taken to make the processing plants ready simultaneously with the completion of drilling of the wells. These would cost Tk 117 crore, they added.

Four gas wells - well no 1, 2, 3 and 4 - at Rashidpur gasfield have been producing about 77 to 85 mmcfd gas every day. Rashidpur gas field located in the hilly area of Bahubal thana in Habiganj district is one of the six gasfields owned by the Sylhet Gasfields Company Limited.