Ukhiya, Nov 15 (V7N) – The Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (Bapex) has begun field operations to extinguish a gas well fire that has been burning for 19 consecutive days in Inani, Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar.
Necessary equipment and materials have been brought to the site, and work to extinguish the fire began on Saturday afternoon after preliminary preparations were completed, officials said.
A team of experts from Petrobangla, the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and Chevron Bangladesh visited the site on Saturday afternoon to assess the gas outlet and surrounding conditions.
Bapex Drilling Superintendent Mohammad Anisur Rahman said extinguishing the fire was the team's immediate priority.
"All necessary equipment and materials are being brought to the site. However, it is too early to say when the fire can be extinguished. We have just started the operation. More advanced equipment and materials will be brought in if necessary," he said.
Asked whether a new well would be drilled to extract the gas, Anisur Rahman said no decision had been made yet.
He said experts would assess the gas reserves after the fire had been safely extinguished or brought under control. The next course of action would depend on the findings of that assessment.
According to local sources, the incident began on October 27 while a tube well was being installed at the house of Mohammad Abdullah, near the Chhotokhal Bridge in the Inani area. Gas began escaping from underground during the work and subsequently caught fire. The blaze has continued ever since.
Since the incident, representatives from Bapex, Petrobangla and several government agencies have visited the site several times to assess the situation.
Authorities have also strengthened security measures to prevent possible accidents. Section 144 has been imposed within a 200-metre radius of the incident site, restricting public movement in the area.
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