By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, March 11 -- Two Unocal Corp. subsidiaries propose to develop Moulavi Bazar natural gas field, on Block 14 in the northeast district of Sylhet in Bangladesh, which could provide up to 100 MMcfd of gas for domestic consumption, Unocal said Monday.
The company, which recently completed field appraisal studies, estimates that Moulavi Bazar contains a gross resource potential of more than 440 bcf of gas.
Unocal Bangladesh Blocks 13 and 14 Ltd., is operator and, together with Unocal Bangladesh Ltd., has a 100% working interest in the production-sharing contract covering the field.
Total development cost, including two development wells, has been estimated at $42 million. Production would be delivered into the existing Bangladesh national gas network, Unocal said.
"We could begin commercial production of natural gas from the field within a year after we sign a gas purchase and sales agreement with Petrobangla, (the Bangladesh state oil and gas company)," said Andrew L Fawthrop, president and managing director of Unocal Bangladesh Ltd.
Bangladesh is considered one of the world's most significant, underevaluated hydrocarbon provinces (See map and article, OGJ, Apr. 22, 2002, p. 48). Unocal holds license to Blocks 12, 13, and 14 in the Surma basin area of northeastern Bangladesh.
In 1999, MB No. 3 well was directionally drilled to 7,872 ft TD in 8 days, the "shortest time of any well drilled in Bangladesh," Unocal said. MB No. 2 well, drilled in the same year, tested at a record rate of 72 MMcfd from a single production zone, the highest test rate in Bangladesh, Unocal said.
Moulavi Bazar development would supplement Unocal Bangladesh's current production from Jalalabad field on Block 13, which supplies gas to the Bangladesh domestic market. Unocal has been producing increasing amounts of gas and condensate from Jalalabad since March 1999.
Under a separate PSC, Unocal subsidiaries also operate and hold a 100% working interest in Bibiyana gas field on Block 12. Under a proposal that Bangladesh is reviewing, Unocal would export natural gas by pipeline from Bibiyana to markets in India.