Flare test begins at Bibiyana

located at the remote village of Nabiganj upazila under Habiganj district.

"It was a good start and we hope to complete the tests one after another in 4-5 days", an official of the company told The Daily Star yesterday.

Last week, the US company failed to run the test to ascertain gas flow in the wells in the face of agitation by local people to press their demands.

The company has drilled seven wells in the gas field.

With completion of flare tests in all the seven wells in the North Pad, the gas field will be ready for production, the official said.

The company is also getting prepared to start drilling of new wells at the South Pad soon.

Transportation and erection of rigs is going on there, he said

"We hope, drilling of a new well will begin this month. As many as six gas wells would be drilled in the South Pad", he said.

The local people under the banner of Bibiyana Dabi Aday Bastabayan Parishad are agitating since in 1997 to meet their demands which include pipeline gas supply in the area, jobs for locals in the gas field, reconstruction of roads and bridges and setting up of gas-based industries.