Kathmandu, Oct 20: A government team is preparing to visit China to discuss the findings of the methane gas reserve discovered in Jaljale, Dailekh. The delegation, led by Dinesh Kumar Napit, Director General of the Department of Mines and Geology, will hold talks to finalize the detailed report on gas extraction.
The presence of methane gas in Jaljale was confirmed through geological studies by the China Geological Survey in Chengdu and drilling conducted by CNPC Xibu Engineering Company.
Officials from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies had earlier estimated that the reserve holds around 112 billion cubic meters of natural gas, enough to meet Nepal’s demand for 50 years. However, the final exploration report from China has not yet been submitted. According to the ministry, the Chinese side has said it will deliver the report in December.
To review and finalize that report, Director General Napit and officials from the Petroleum Exploration Project are set to travel to China. “We are required to review the report prepared by China. For that, the Chinese side has organized a conference, which our team will attend,” a department source told Onlinekhabar. “After our review, China will submit the final report in December,” the source added.
Drilling in Jaljale began on April 11, 2023 (Baisakh 28, 2080 BS), reaching a depth of about 4,000 meters, where gas deposits were found. Samples were collected and sent to China for further testing.
Officials said the final exploration report will determine the gas quality, processing cost, and whether the deposit is commercially viable for production.
People's News Monitoring Service