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Petrobangla extends offshore oil, gas bidding deadline to March 2027
Daily Sun Report, Dhaka
Published: 13 Oct 2026, 09:32 PM
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Petrobangla has extended the deadline to submit bids to
explore Bangladesh’s offshore oil and gas sites by four months, giving
international companies until 31 March 2027 to submit proposals instead of the
previous deadline of 30 November.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, the Bangladesh Oil,
Gas and Mineral Corporation (Petrobangla) said the extension followed recent
discussions with international oil companies (IOCs) and their requests for more
time.
Petrobangla expects greater access to the data required for
exploration to encourage more international companies to participate in the
bidding round.
Bangladesh invited international bids for oil and gas
exploration and extraction in its offshore areas on 24 May. The bidding round
offers 26 blocks: 15 in deep-sea areas and 11 in shallow waters.
The bidding document is priced at $7,000. Interested
companies can submit bids for individual blocks or the entire offshore area,
according to the bidding arrangements.
Several companies, including Türkiye’s Turkish Petroleum
Corporation (TPAO) and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), have
already purchased bidding documents.
Bangladesh previously invited international bids for
offshore exploration in March 2024. Seven internationally recognised companies,
including US energy major ExxonMobil, purchased bidding documents, while two
companies collected exploration data from Petrobangla.
However, no company ultimately submitted a bid amid various
factors, including the political situation, leading the authorities to abandon
that bidding round.
The latest deadline extension is intended to provide
international companies with more time to assess the available exploration
opportunities and encourage participation in Bangladesh’s offshore oil and gas
sector.
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