Natural gas from gulf set to fall sharply after 2017
Natural-gas supply from the Gulf of Thailand can maintain the peak quantity of 3,602 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) for only five more years, from next year to 2017, before the quantity drops sharply, the Energy Ministry's Department of Mineral Fuel
The department’s director-general, Songpope Polachan, said that this year the production of gas from the Gulf of Thailand would surge to 3,441MMcf/d from 3,172MMcf/d last year before rising to 3,602MMcf/d in 2013.
The production will stay at 3,602MMcf/d for another five years before falling to 3,352MMcf/d in 2018 and 3,202MMcf/d in 2019 and 2,880MMcf/d in 2022. However, the demand for natural gas has continued to increase in line with the growing economy, he said.
He added that Thailand had to start seeking new alternative energy sources now. One potential area is the overlapping sea area of Thailand and Cambodia. If the two countries agree on joint exploration of the area, it will take 10 years for gas production from the disputed area to begin.
He said the granting of new petroleum exploration and production concessions in the 21st round will take place midyear, but again it would be 10 years before production of gas from this concession could begin.
If the country fails to find new gas sources now, it might have to explore other energy types in the next 10 years to replace natural gas.
He also warned that Thailand’s petrochemical business had to be prepared for a decline in natural gas-production in the Gulf of Thailand, a key source of raw material for the petrochemical industry.
The department estimated that natural-gas production in the Gulf of Thailand would plunge to 479MMcf/d in the next 20 years.
