Natural gas supply is yet to back to normalcy until Tuesday evening although Bibiyana’s four gas wells, out of the six, that were forced shut Sunday on technical ground, came online.
The fifth gas well is expected to reinitiate gas supply from Thursday, said sources.
Production of natural gas from the sixth well is uncertain as it was damaged when sand came out through the well while producing gas, they added.
Overall natural gas production from the Bibiyana gas field increased to around 1,100 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) Tuesday from Sunday’s 800 mmcfd with the reinitiating of gas production from four wells.
Consumers had to suffer for the third straight day with little improvement in the crisis situation amid low gas pressure and electricity outages.
Industrial output was affected due to lower-than-expected gas pressure and many household consumers, as a result, also suffered the bane of gas shortage.
“We have started mitigating the gas supply crisis due to whole-hearted efforts of our efficient engineers,” the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MPEMR) said in a statement Tuesday.
The MPEMR thanked the consumers for being passionate during the crisis situation.
Chevron has initiated an investigation over the unplanned shutdown of Bibiayana’s six gas wells.
It would submit its report to state-run Petrobangla on its completion, said sources.
azizjst@yahoo.com