Kathmandu, 20 June: The news of methane gas discovery in Dailekh has also attracted attention in Indian media. The topic gained focus after the preliminary study, conducted based on the potential for petroleum resources in Dailekh, revealed the presence of methane gas.
After the Indian news agency PTI published a report titled “Large Reserves of Methane Gas Found in Western Nepal,” various Indian media outlets used this as a basis to create different reports on the subject.
Among them, India TV published an interesting report titled “Nepal Becoming Wealthy.” With the headline “Nepal Will Become Rich!” the report stated, “A discovery has been made that will ensure there is no gas shortage for the next 50 years.” To make the news more appealing, it mentioned that Nepal has found a “massive treasure.” The report read, “Nepal has discovered a huge treasure — not of gold or silver, but in the form of gas reserves.”
Similarly, Nava Bharat Times published a report titled “China Discovers a Treasure Worth Billions of Dollars Buried in Nepal, Enough to Meet 50 Years of Demand.” Other Indian media outlets also ran stories referring to the gas discovery as the finding of a treasure.
What exactly has been discovered?
According to a preliminary report received by the Department of Mines and Geology, a Chinese team of experts has discovered 112 billion cubic meters of natural gas in Jaljale, located in Bhairavi Rural Municipality–1 of Dailekh. It is also reported that methane gas is present in three other locations within Dailekh. Based on the Chinese team’s report, it is estimated that the gas reserves could fulfill Nepal’s needs for the next 50 years.
However, experts clarify that Nepal is not immediately becoming wealthy, as some Indian media have claimed. Whether commercial production is feasible will only be confirmed by the final report, said Dr. Mukunda Bhattarai, spokesperson for the Department of Mines and Geology. According to him, the discovered gas can be used as a raw material for chemical production and is useful as fuel and in various industrial processes.
China’s Geological Survey Company is set to submit the final report by December 2025. While the China Geological Survey conducted the geological study, the CNPC Xibu Engineering Company carried out the drilling operations on the ground. Experts collected samples, which were then tested in laboratories in China.
