Dighipara coalfield caught amid contradictory feasibility studies  

The first feasibility study on Dinajpur's Dighipara coal field suggested the prospect of a coal reserve around 865 million metric tonnes, but the second feasibility report stated that the mine is not economically viable for underground or open cut mining.
"Dighipara mine is not economically viable either for underground mining or open cut. Barapukuria Coal Mine has already been completed vis a vis feasibility study engaging an international consultant, we received the report," State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid told this correspondent.
Examining all issues related to extraction of coal from Dighipara mine, the foreign consultant opined that the cost of coal extraction from this field would be more expensive (both in open cut or underground method) than the coal import cost, the state minister said.
In 2015, Petrobangla conducted the first feasibility study on Dighipara coal field. Later, it launched another study to assess commercial viability of the mine in 2017, under a project titled "Techno Economic Feasibility Study of Coal Deposit at Dighipara, Dinajpur."
Petrobangla engaged state-owned Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Limited (BCMCL) to supervise the project, however, BCMCL signed a deal with a consortium of MIBRAG Consulting International GmbH, Germany, FUGRO Consult GmbH, Germany and Runge Pincock Minarco Limited in 2017, for conducting the feasibility study of Dighipara coal field at Dinajpur. The project's key objectives were to identify the total reserve of Dighipara coal basin within 24 sq km and to develop a coal mine of 3 million tonne production capacity per year, within the central part of the basin of 6 sq km. however; the feasibility study of the project has been completed in March, 2020.
"The feasibility study includes verifying old information, topographic study, 3D seismic survey, exploratory drilling, mine design and project feasibility assessment, assessment of resettlement requirements and preparation of resettlement action plan, determination of geological and hydro-geological conditions, mining method, actual reserve, yearly production rate, mine life, detailed economic analysis and to determine if the project is economically viable or not," a senior official of Petrobangla said.
The state owned     Petrobangla discovered five coal fields in the north-western part of the country. These are Khalaspir coal field in Rangpur, Barapukuria, Phulbari and Dighipara coal fields in Dinajpur and Jamalganj coal field in Joypurhat/Naogaon.
The total estimated reserve of these 5 coal fields is 3.565 billion tonnes. (A recent study suggested that the reserve of Jamalganj basin is about 5.45 billion tonnes.
However, out of these 5 coal fields, Petrobangla has developed the first and only coal mine of the country at Barapukuria. Commercial production started from September, 2005 with a capacity of 1 million metric ton per annum and up to December, 2018, total 10.48 million metric tons of coal was produced from this coal mine.
"The government has a plan to set up series of coal-fired power projects to generate 20,000MW of electricity by 2030.  But now we are re-thinking the plan. We are cautious to take any major decision in this regard," the State Minister said.
Meanwhile, Petrobangla has carried out a feasibility study project during the year 2015-16 for extracting coal bed methane (CBM) from Jamalganj coal field. The study was concluded without assessing economic viability of CBM extraction from this field.