Occurrence and Origin of Water Well Methane Gas in Bangladesh

Gas occurrences in irrigation wells have been reported from most parts of the country, and in some parts of the southeast region, gas occurrences have become a limiting factor for groundwater development. Methane is the main component of water well gases and is readily identified by its ignition characteristics. It has been found that conditions required for gas formation, such as the amount of total organic carbon and organic matter, depth of burial, hydrothermal gradient and degree of compaction, are all favourable for the generation of biogenic gases in the deltaic regions of the Bengal Basin. Biogenic gas from water wells contains only methane as the hydrocarbon gas and along with more than one per cent (by volume) of carbon dioxide. On the other hand thermogenic gas from deep wells contains methane and other higher hydrocarbon gases along with less than one per cent of carbon dioxide. Areas marked by high groundwater salinity generates more methane than other parts of the country and this is suggestive of estuarine environment of deposition of the aquifer materials in those areas.