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Dailekh, Feb 14: A mineral gas reserve of 80.7 billion cubic meters has been confirmed at Jaljale in Bhairavi Rural Municipality 1 of Dailekh.

According to the final exploration report submitted to the Government of Nepal by the China Geological Survey, the confirmed reserve at Jaljale stands at 80.7 billion cubic meters. Department of Mines and Geology spokesperson Dharma Raj Khadka said the figure was made public after a detailed study by the Chinese team.

An earlier preliminary report had estimated around 1.12 billion cubic meters of gas in the area. Further testing and final analysis have now confirmed a much larger volume than initially projected.

Although the reserve has been confirmed, the department said the actual commercial viability and extraction capacity will only be known after well testing. “At this stage, we have identified only the size of the reserve. Without well testing, we cannot determine how much gas can be extracted or which technology would be suitable,” Khadka said.

The next phase will involve using additional equipment at the drilled site to fracture rock formations or displace the gas. The extracted gas will then undergo laboratory testing to determine its composition before any commercial production moves forward.

Nepal and the China Geological Survey had signed an agreement worth Rs 2.40 billion in financial and technical assistance for petroleum exploration. Under the agreement, the Chinese team has completed seismic, geological, magnetotelluric and geochemical surveys. The department is currently reviewing the final report and has requested further grant assistance from the Chinese government for the remaining work.

Experts say the gas discovered in Dailekh resembles shale or tight gas, similar to that extracted in the United States. Such gas is trapped within rock layers, making extraction technically challenging and requiring rock fracturing for commercial production.

Exploration began in October 2019, based on sites such as Shreesthan, Navisthan, Paduka and Tallo Dungeshwar, where natural flames have burned for generations.

With the February 15 election approaching, political parties in Dailekh have made gas extraction a central campaign agenda.

People’s News Monitoring Service