The government will float an open tender to drill 26 wells in different gas fields soon in order to enhance gas production.

Adviser for Power and Energy Dr Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan announced the decision at a press briefing at his ministry on Thursday.

He said the government will not go to award any contract on G-to-G basis to any foreign company or no contract will be signed on an unsolicited basis.

Fouzul Kabir said that the move has been initiated in order to reduce the dependence on imported LNG which involves huge foreign currency.

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He said a total of 100 wells will be drilled in between 2025 and 2028 and of these wells, some 69 wells are for exploration and development while the remaining 31 will be workover wells.

Of these 69 wells, state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (Bapex) will drill a total of 43 and the remaining 26 will be drilled by inviting contractors through open tender process.

Energy Secretary Md Nurul Alam and Petrobangla chairman Zanedra Nath Sarker were present on the occasion.

The Adviser said Bapex will drill 33 wells at different gas fields using its own rigs while it will drill 10 wells with rented rigs.

“We want to fully utilise the capabilities of the Bapex,” he told reporters adding, now time has come for Bapex to show its capacities.

The Petrobangla chairman hoped that he will be able to float tender within 15 days if the adviser approves his plan in a week.

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The Energy and Power Adviser said that the offshore bidding round which has already been invited for the international companies will be closed in December as per the deadline. “Already 7 international companies have shown their interest to bid for gas blocks,”, he said.

But the new plan has been chalked out for the onshore gas fields, he added.