The
exploration action of petroleum products is over 100 years old in Bangladesh.
The first exploration activity started with some topographic maps of Chittagong
Hill Tracts and some simplified surveys were done. The first exploration
started from 1914 to 1933 by Burma Oil Company (BOC). The second of phase
petroleum exploration began after partition of Indian subcontinent. Three
international oil companies and the state owned oil company (OGDC) were active
in different part of the country. During phase II, Shell Oil discovered the
most successful drilling operation; Rashidpur, Kailashtila, Titas,
Habigonj and Bakhrabad
gas fields were discovered.
After
the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the petroleum exploration gathered
pace. In this period, the first offshore gas field, Kutubdia was discovered.
The country was first divided into 23 major blocks including offshore area.
During 1995-2000, the foreign companies
Fig.2 drilled 10 exploratory wells and discovered 1 offshore gas field (Sangu
in 1996 by Cairns Energy) and two onshore gas fields (Bibyana in 1997 and
Moulovibazar in 1998). After some more successful drilling by Tullow Oil,
Bangura gas field was discovered in 2004.
BAPEX,
(Petrobangla exploratory subsidiary) drilled two wells and discovered two gas
fields, i.e. Shahbazpur in 1995 and Saldanadi in 1996. BAPEX drilled one well
in late 2004 and announced discovery of Srikail gas field in Comilla in January
2005. It is very interesting data that the national oil companies of Bangladesh
have a discovery success rate over 80% Fig.3 compared to the multinational oil
companies. Digital multi fold seismic data acquisition started in 1977, when
Prakla was engaged under the German technical Assistance Program. In 1978
Petrobangla started acquiring multi fold analog seismic data, Fig.4 but in 1979
it moved into the digital domain. During 1986-87 Shell recorded over 1,500 km
of multi fold data and these are available in BAPEX Data Center.
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