Bangladesh discovers huge natural gas hydrate deposits in Bay of Bengal

• Integrity Education, Delhi
• 07, Jan 2022

Bangladesh has discovered huge potential natural gas hydrate deposits of 0.11 to 0.73 trillion cubic feet (TCF) in its exclusive economic zone area. It is equivalent to 17-103 TCF of natural gas reserves. This finding was shared by the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dr A K Abdul Momen in Dhaka on Wednesday, reports the newsagency UNB. 

The study undertaken over the last three years was conducted by the Petrobangla, Bapex, local experts and the National Oceanography centre in Southampton, UK. The study has come up with the preliminary idea about the location and nature of the gas hydrate discovery. 

Commending the findings, Foreign Minister Dr. Momen said that the results of the study were very encouraging. The finding of the huge reservoir of the natural gas hydrate is a landmark event in resolving the energy crisis in future. 

The results of the study will be forwarded to the Energy and mineral resources division to conduct a seismic survey to determine the quantity and presence of actual reserves.

The production technology of methane gas from the hydrates  is fundamentally different from the extraction of oil and natural gas which flows naturally through the pores of the reservoirs to the well. Hydrates are solids and need to be dissociated through techniques like hot water pumping, depressurisation and Carbon Dioxide injection to release the methane gas from the hydrates. Work is going on in the world to develop economically viable technology to extract gas from the hydrates. 

Sources : News on AIR