Environmental impact assessment of natural gas development in Bangladesh

Abstract

The history of natural gas development within the territory of Bangladesh dates back to 1910 when exploration and drilling activities commenced and so far, with a break during the world wars, went. on to the discovery of a number of gas fields both on shore and off shore areas. This effort has been continuing with and without foreign collaboration. In the mean time. Petrobangla and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation within the framework of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources are supplying over 800 MMCFD (million cubic feet per day) of gas and over 5000 TPD (tons per day) of oil respectively to serve the daily domestic commercial and industrial needs of over 124 million people of Bangladesh. Oil and gas sector, particularly natural gas sector is currently drawing ambitious programs to execute development projects to meet the ever increasing number of consumers including gas based power and fertiliser plants. Obviously, hectic activities in terms of seismic survey, drilling, exploration. production, processing and pipelines are in progress causing environmental impacts of different dimension and magnitude. The process of environmental evaluation before taking up any development project for operating and expanding existing ones has also been started following promulgation of environmental law of 1995. This is because EIA has been made mandatory for all petroleum and power sector projects. Accordingly. it is high time now that an environmental impact assessment be made on this sectoral issues. Further. Bangladesh is a disaster prone country and the natural conditions have made her subject to disasters and environmental hazards. Industrial and other pollution and hazards should no further be allowed to exceed the limits in the context of ensuring sustainable development of the sector. Eventually, bearing these factors in mind, the study presented in this report has been attempted to cover identification of both positive and negative environmental impacts of natural gas exploration. production, distributions and consumption. The study includes evaluation of the magnitude of these impacts on environmental components of natural resources, socio-economic conditions and quality of life as well as delineation of possible mitigation measures to eliminate, reduce or offset the negative impacts thereof. This has been further reinforced with environmental management and monitoring aspects for a possible demonstration of compliance with any current and future standards, so that these are applied to the process of minimisation of relevant pollution and hazards and allows planners and decision makers to take these into consideration in project implementation. This report further includes two case studies, one to highlight the hazardous drilling failure and consequential environmental damage resulted from Magurcharra gas field, an example of severe negative impact in the natural gas development history of Bangladesh and the other case of fuel wood/kerosene conversion to natural gas leaving an appreciable positive impact of use of natural gas over wood fuel. Conclusion has there after been drawn on the basis of the environmental base line of Bangladesh together with experience on environmental concern relating to natural gas vis-a-vis current regulatory process. Finally, recommendations have been made on the salient issues pertaining to environmental control with due emphasis on decontamination and reclamation process of the age old pipelines and plants which have never been subjected to such environmental impact assessment ever before.