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Up to 103tcf potential gas reserve in Bay
A preliminary study in the Bangladesh part of the Bay of Bengal has found a potential reserve of gas hydrate worth 17 to 103 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Gas hydrates are a crystalline solid form of water and gas. They contain huge volumes of methane and are abundant in marine sediments in a layer several hundred metres thick directly below the seafloor.
Although the technologies for its commercial production and use are not available anywhere in the world at the moment, the potential reserve, if exploited, can meet the country's demand for power and gas for decades.
Currently, the country needs about 1 trillion tcf of natural gas to meet its yearly demand, experts said.
Rear Admiral (retd) Md Khurshed Alam, secretary of Maritime Affairs Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared the findings at a press conference at the ministry yesterday.
A French company conducted seismic and bathymetric surveys on the 3,500 line kilometres in 2007-08 and a Dutch company conducted a survey in the 3,000 line kilometres within the continental shelf of 350 nautical miles and collected scientific and technical data on the marine resources.
Based on the survey data, the Maritime Affairs Unit with the assistance of the Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (BAPEX), Petrobangla and the National Oceanography Centre of the UK completed the study in the last three years.
It indicates presence of 0.11tcf to 0.63tcf gas hydrate, which is worth 17-103tcf of natural gas, only in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Bangladesh, said Khurshed.
A full seismic survey in the entire EEZ of Bangladesh and continental shelf can provide a true picture of the reserve of gas hydrate, he added.
Khurshed said the technology needed to exploit gas hydrate is not available yet.
Contacted, Dhaka University's Geology Department Honorary Prof Dr Badrul Iman said it is good news that there is potential reserve of gas hydrate, but the reality is no country has been able to go for its commercial production.
The US and Japan are still conducting experiments on the technology. Even if the technology is available, say, in the next 10 years, it will take at least 15 more years to come to Bangladesh, he said.
At the press briefing, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said another survey conducted by a Dutch researcher in 2020-21 found presence of 498 species of oyster, 347 species of sea fish, 220 species of seaweed, 61 species of sea-grass, 52 species of prawn, six species of crab and five species of lobster.
Some of the seaweeds found in the sea have huge commercial potentials in the making of fish feed, animal feed, food additives and cosmetics ingredients.
"We have to import raw materials worth Tk 28,000 crore a year. If we can produce these materials here, we won't need to import it. We can also export if we can produce in huge quantities," he said.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam said presently there are some small-scale farms for producing seaweeds.
"We would need big investments for large-scale farming of seaweeds," he said, and invited the Bangladeshi fish and animal feed and cosmetics manufacturing companies to invest in the sector.
www.thedailystar.net
A preliminary study in the Bangladesh part of the Bay of Bengal has found a potential reserve of gas hydrate worth 17 to 103 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Gas hydrates are a crystalline solid form of water and gas. They contain huge volumes of methane and are abundant in marine sediments in a layer several hundred metres thick directly below the seafloor.
Although the technologies for its commercial production and use are not available anywhere in the world at the moment, the potential reserve, if exploited, can meet the country's demand for power and gas for decades.
Currently, the country needs about 1 trillion tcf of natural gas to meet its yearly demand, experts said.
Rear Admiral (retd) Md Khurshed Alam, secretary of Maritime Affairs Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared the findings at a press conference at the ministry yesterday.
A French company conducted seismic and bathymetric surveys on the 3,500 line kilometres in 2007-08 and a Dutch company conducted a survey in the 3,000 line kilometres within the continental shelf of 350 nautical miles and collected scientific and technical data on the marine resources.
Based on the survey data, the Maritime Affairs Unit with the assistance of the Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (BAPEX), Petrobangla and the National Oceanography Centre of the UK completed the study in the last three years.
It indicates presence of 0.11tcf to 0.63tcf gas hydrate, which is worth 17-103tcf of natural gas, only in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Bangladesh, said Khurshed.
A full seismic survey in the entire EEZ of Bangladesh and continental shelf can provide a true picture of the reserve of gas hydrate, he added.
Khurshed said the technology needed to exploit gas hydrate is not available yet.
Contacted, Dhaka University's Geology Department Honorary Prof Dr Badrul Iman said it is good news that there is potential reserve of gas hydrate, but the reality is no country has been able to go for its commercial production.
The US and Japan are still conducting experiments on the technology. Even if the technology is available, say, in the next 10 years, it will take at least 15 more years to come to Bangladesh, he said.
At the press briefing, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said another survey conducted by a Dutch researcher in 2020-21 found presence of 498 species of oyster, 347 species of sea fish, 220 species of seaweed, 61 species of sea-grass, 52 species of prawn, six species of crab and five species of lobster.
Some of the seaweeds found in the sea have huge commercial potentials in the making of fish feed, animal feed, food additives and cosmetics ingredients.
"We have to import raw materials worth Tk 28,000 crore a year. If we can produce these materials here, we won't need to import it. We can also export if we can produce in huge quantities," he said.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam said presently there are some small-scale farms for producing seaweeds.
"We would need big investments for large-scale farming of seaweeds," he said, and invited the Bangladeshi fish and animal feed and cosmetics manufacturing companies to invest in the sector.
Up to 103tcf potential gas reserve in Bay
A preliminary study in the Bangladesh part of the Bay of Bengal has found a potential reserve of gas hydrate worth 17 to 103 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
