United News of Bangladesh

Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hassan Mahmood on Sunday told Parliament that Bangladesh currently has an estimated 7.63 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas remaining in its reserves which could meet the country’s demand for around 12 years at the present consumption rate. Of the total reserve, 22.11 TCF of gas has already been extracted as of December 31, 2025, while 7.63 TCF remained in reserve as of January 1, 2026, he said in reply to a starred tabled question from ruling party lawmaker elected from Bogura-4 Md. Mosharraf Hossain in the House. The Minister said the country currently has an estimated extractable natural gas reserve of 29.74 trillion cubic feet (TCF). He said that if no new gas fields are discovered and the current daily supply rate approximately 1,700 million cubic feet is maintained, the remaining gas reserve will be sufficient to meet the country’s demand for around 12 years. Listing various steps, the Minister said the government has undertaken a number of initiatives to explore new gas resources across the country. Under Petrobangla’s drilling and workover programme, a total of 50 and 100 wells have been planned in phases, he said. So far, 26 wells have been drilled and workover activities completed, while work on the remaining wells is progressing, he added. In terms of seismic surveys, BAPEX has already conducted approximately 3,600 line kilometers of 2D seismic data acquisition in Blocks 7 and 9 and data processing is currently underway. Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited (BGFCL) is set to begin 3D seismic surveys covering an area of 1,450 square kilometers in Habiganj, Bakhrabad, and Meghna fields. Besides, plans have been taken to conduct 3D seismic surveys in several other areas including: 660 sq km in Char Fasson (Bhola) by BAPEX; 650 sq km in Jamalpur by BAPEX; 632 sq km in Titas, Habiganj, and Narsingdi areas by BGFCL; 882 sq km in Lamigao, Lalabazar, Gowainghat, Kailashtila South, and Fenchuganj West structures by SGFL.  

Bangladesh's State Minister for Power, Energy, and Minerals Resources Nasrul Hamid hoped that 1.6 TCF (trillion cubic feet) more gas will be found at the Kailashtila gas field in Golapganj upazila of Sylhet. It will be confirmed once the drilling is completed within the next four months, he said. The state minister made the remarks after visiting the Kailashtila well No 8 on Saturday (February 17, 2024). Nasrul said the Kailashtila field previously had 3 TCF reserves and more gas reserve will be found once the current search wells are drilled. Read: Massive fire set off by gas explosion in Kenya's capital kills at least 3 people, injures over 270  “We are waiting for you to take initiative. The ministry does not undertake any project. We want everyone to show their capability. Sylhet gas field has moved forward, taking on more projects. We want others to come forward as well, ” he told officials. Mizanur Rahman, managing director of Sylhet Gas Fields Limited, said seven wells were drilled in Kailashtila earlier, and gas was found in every well. “It is expected to find more than 1 TCF of gas after digging at 3500 meters of the well,” he said.  The drilling of the Kailashtila-8 well started on January 11 this year. The work is expected to be completed in 120 days. State-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (BAPEX) is digging the well. Read: Gas crisis puts 3 major fertilizer factories out of production for nine days in Ctg  Besides, there is an existing transmission  only one and a half kilometers away and a usable process plant at a distance of two and a half kilometers. Although gas is surplus in many areas, including Bhola, and Zakiganj, it cannot be used as there is no transmission.

Bapex, the state-owned gas and oil exploration entity, has found fresh gas reserve in an abandoned well of Beanibazar under Sylhet Gas Field. Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (BAPEX) officials expect that they will get 10 MMCFD (million cubic feet per day) daily from the well. State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid made the announcement on Thursday in a post from his verified Facebook page. Read more: IMF team attends BERC presentation on setting power, gas tariffs “Along with that 100 barrels of condensate will be produced from the well daily. Hopefully within a short time we will be able to add the newfound gas and condensate to the national grid,” he said. Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (BAPEX) started drilling the well on September 10 and confirmed of finding of the gas reserve on Thursday morning. Nasrul Hamid said by 2025, they will dig 46 new exploration, development and workover wells. “We are hopeful of adding around 620 MMCFD gas to the national grid from these wells,” he said. According to Sylhet Gas Fields Limited (SGFL), there are two wells in Beanibazar under Sylhet Gas Field. Production from well no 1 started in 1999 and was closed in 2014. Production resumed in well no 1 at the beginning of 2016 and was stopped again at the end of the same year. From then the well remained abandoned. Engineer Shahinur Islam, Managing Director of SGFL, said, "We will soon be able to start production from this well after completing some other activities. Before the start of drilling, it was estimated in the Development Project Performa (DPP) that 5 MMCFD gas will be found in the well but now it seems the amount of available gas will be more.” Read more: New gas found in Bhola field amid crisis Apart from Beanibazar well, digging of Kailashtila-8 and Goainghat-10 wells in Golapganj and installation work of 1 transmission pipeline in Rashidpur is going on under Sylhet Gas Fields Limited (SGFL),he said. SGFL's gas production will further increase after completion of these projects, he said.