Natural Gas of Kathmandu Valley

One of the major talk in the town last year was Kathmandu’s natural gas due to internal and external political situation. Most of the people of Kathmandu don’t know the existence and distribution of this gas through pipe lines in the past. Here’s the short detail about the Kathmandu Gas.

The Kathmandu natural gas (mainly Methane) reservoir is contained in the unconsolidated sedimentary deposits of the valley containing organic material. This is “dissolved in water type” natural gas, occurs in the fluvio-lacusterine sediment of quaternary age in the Kathmandu valley. The natural gas deposits of Kathmandu Valley have been studied by many national & International experts, the most prominent being Indian, Chinese & Japanese. Oil and Gas commission of India studied in 1964 and reported that the gas is confined to small sand lenses and not useful from an economic point of view. Similarly a Chinese Petroleum investigation team made a study in 1973. They also reported that the deposit had no industrial importance. However, actual systematic exploration work was carried out by the Department of Mines and Geology from 1978. The exploration work was initiated in collaboration with JICA, the Japan International Cooperation Agency. On the basis of geology, borehole, resistivity and gravity data, an area of about 26 Sq. km has been delineated as gas prospective area with estimated reserve of about 300 million cubic meters. A pre-feasibility study has indicated that the estimated gas reserve of Kathmandu valley, if used, can meet the energy demand of 20,000 people for more than 50 years (0.75cu.m/day/family). The gas prospective area is divided into three blocks.

In order to confirm the deposit, an initial test well was drilled to a depth of 300 meters at Tripureswore in 1980. The results obtained from the test well were quite encouraging and subsequently two more similar type test wells were drilled in 1983 in Teku area. A model gas plant of 500 cubic meters capacity was made with the connection to these three wells in Teku, Pachali with UNDP/JICA financial and technical support in 1983. The natural gas was supplied from this model plant to the nearby government offices and hospital complexes on an experimental basis through the underground PVC pipelines. The supply was continuous for 8 years until it faced technical problem and political situation. Till now 14 test wells have been completed within the 26 sq. km. area in Kathmandu Valley.

Furthermore, reassessment of the deposit of natural gas in Kathmandu Valley is needed since, the report we are taking is very old and at present days there are more than thousand deep boring wells that has been drilled which is resulting in reduction of the quantity of natural gas.

Presently, natural gas and coal section of Department of Mines and Geology is trying to renovate some old wells as well as planning to make one mobile mini model gas plant which can be taken anywhere as needed.