Santos begins drilling new well in Bay for gas
Australian gas and oil exploration company Santos started drilling a new well in Block 16 in the Bay of Bengal yesterday in search of natural gas.
Santos Bangladesh Vice President (government and public affairs) ABA Siraj Uddowlah said the drilling began at the well South Sangu, around 5 kilometres away from the existing Sangu platform, around 4:00am.
Drilling rig “Offshore Resolute” arrived there on September 18 said Siraj, adding that 30 experts and 400 workers are involved in the drilling.
Presence of gas can be determined within one and a half months. Then it would take another one and a half years to set up a platform and pipes to bring the gas ashore, he said.
Aiming to increase gas supply to industries in Chittagong, Santos took a US $126 million project to drill three new wells -- South Sangu, Sangu 11 and Sangu North East -- situated in the block.
At a programme here on September 14, Santos Bangladesh President John Chambers said there is already a platform at Sangu 11, situated 1.5 kilometres to the North of the Sangu platform, where drilling would begin in November.
Depending on the success, gas can be supplied from there after February next year, he added.
Sangu North East is situated 4 kilometres away from the Sangu platform. But the drilling there would start after completion at the first two wells, he said.
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