Gas Exploration and Deep Well Drilling Project Begins in Pabna's Sujanagar
A major gas exploration and deep well drilling project has been initiated in Pabna's Sujanagar upazila, following the approval of a three-well project by ECNEC last December. Bapex has partnered with China's CCDC to execute the drilling operations, which are scheduled to commence main excavation in mid-June 2028.
A new gas exploration and deep well drilling project has officially been initiated in Pabna's Sujanagar upazila, marking a significant development for the region's energy sector. The primary work for this extensive initiative has already commenced on six acres of acquired land located in Kuripara village under Ahmedpur union in Sujanagar upazila, Pabna. This site will serve as the operational hub for the comprehensive exploration activities planned by the implementing authorities.
To execute the complex drilling operations, the state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company, known as Bapex, has entered into an agreement with China's CNPC Chuanqing Drilling Engineering Company Limited, commonly referred to as CCDC. Bapex operates under Petrobangla. The overall initiative is part of a broader project involving three deep exploratory wells with a total financial outlay of 1,136 crore 25 lakh taka, which received formal approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council, or ECNEC, in December of last year.
Financing for this substantial undertaking comes from both government and internal sources. The government has allocated 909 crore taka in the form of a loan, while Bapex is contributing 227 crore 25 lakh taka from its own internal funds. Additionally, the project includes the construction of piles at a cost of 5 crore 50 lakh taka. The technical strategy involves drilling to a depth of more than 6 kilometers, utilizing advanced international technology and improved drilling systems to ensure success based on past operational insights.
Highlighting the technical approach, engineer Md. Shoeb stated that, considering previous experiences, the decision has been made to deploy international technology and advanced drilling systems to excavate to a depth of more than 6 kilometers. This deep drilling effort follows an earlier attempt in 2014, when an initiative was undertaken to drill a well to a depth of 4.5 kilometers in Mubarakpur, a previous endeavor that incurred an expenditure of approximately 89 crore taka.
Looking ahead to the operational timeline, the main drilling work for the Mubarakpur Deep-1 gas exploration and well drilling project is scheduled to begin in the middle of June 2028. Project projections indicate that upon successful completion, it may be possible to extract at least 20 million cubic feet of gas daily from the site. Furthermore, officials estimate that gas extraction operations could potentially continue for approximately 20 years, providing a sustained contribution to the country's domestic energy supply.
