Bangladesh holds 29.74 TCF extractable gas reserves: Energy minister
Under Petrobangla’s drilling and workover programme, a total of 50 and 100 wells have been planned in phases
BSS, Sangsad Bhaban
Published: 19 Apr 2026, 05:40 PM
File Photo
Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hassan Mahmood has informed the Parliament that Bangladesh currently has an estimated 29.74 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of extractable natural gas reserve.
Of the total reserve, 22.11 TCF of gas had already
been extracted as of 31 December 2025, while 7.63 TCF remained in reserve as of
1 January 2026.
The minister said this in reply to a starred tabled
question from ruling party lawmaker Md Mosharraf Hossain (Bogura-4) in the
House on Sunday with Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal in the chair.
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. So far, 26 wells have
been drilled and workover activities completed, while work on the remaining
wells is progressing at various stages.
In terms of seismic surveys, BAPEX has already
conducted approximately 3,600 line kilometres 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 kilometres in
Habiganj, Bakhrabad, and Meghna fields.
Additionally, 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.
These initiatives are aimed at strengthening the
country’s energy security through enhanced exploration and resource
development.
