Habiganj:The drilling of 32 wells has been completed in the past seven months since the BNP government took office, adding approximately 148 million cubic feet (mmcfd) of gas per day to the national grid. The government plans to drill 150 wells by 2031 and another 150 wells from 2031 to 2035 to enhance local gas production and reduce import dependency.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Petrobangla reported that 32 wells have been drilled in line with the government's targets. The wells include 14 drilled by Sylhet Gas Fields Limited, 11 by Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited, and seven by Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited. These wells contribute about 147.9 mmcfd of gas to the national grid, surpassing the initial projections due to higher-than-expected output from the Habiganj-5 well.
Despite the increased production, pipeline-related issues have delayed the addition of an anticipated 60 mmcfd to the national grid. The government is currently drilling seven more wells, expected to be completed by January, which could further contribute around 96 mmcfd of gas, contingent on infrastructure capacity.
Petrobangla also plans to undertake 19 ongoing projects and nine pending approval projects to drill 31 more wells. Additional initiatives will see four more wells drilled. Shafiqul Alam, Lead Energy Analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, emphasized the importance of timely supply infrastructure to avoid underutilization of new gas reserves.
The government is prioritizing both onshore and offshore exploration, launching the "Bangladesh Offshore Bidding Round 2026" and opening 26 offshore blocks to international companies. Despite production increases, a significant gap remains, with daily gas demand at 3,800 mmcfd against a supply of 2,600 mmcfd. Local sources provide around 1,600 mmcfd, with LNG imports contributing 900 to 1,000 mmcfd.
Petrobangla Chairman Md Abdul Mannan highlighted the emphasis on drilling new wells and maintaining existing operations to boost domestic production. He noted the completion of 32 wells and ongoing work on seven more, alongside 19 active projects and nine pending ones aimed at future exploration. The focus remains on developing necessary infrastructure to secure energy supply and meet the growing demand.