Authorities have started work for drilling at least 100 new gas wells by 2028, 50 of which would be drilled by next year, in order to resolve the country’s persistent fuel crisis, energy adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said Thursday.

Furthermore, energy and fuel projects will no longer be undertaken under government-to-government mechanism, with open bidding replacing the erstwhile opaque and corrupt practice, the adviser added when speaking to reporters at the Secretariat.

The new gas extraction efforts would help to ease the shortage of fuel for cooking purposes, industrial production, and power generation. Furthermore, the new gas wells would help reduce dependency on costly LNG imports.

The depletion of country’s on-services underground gas reserves over the years have been increasing the economy’s reliance on LNG imports and eroding foreign currency reserves, the energy adviser noted.

Tenders for private gas exploration bidders would be announced within a week or two, but unlike in previous years project deadlines will not be extended, he warned.

In a break from years of unfair practice, the state-run BAPEX would be given a greater role in gas well drilling activities.

Works have already started for extracting gas from 15 of the 50 gas wells set to be drilled by next year. While 176 million cubic feet of gas has been discovered in the 15 drilled wells, 79 million cubic feet is being supplied to the national grid due to pipeline shortages.

Drilling of another 35 gas wells will be completed by , and BAPEX will undertake the role of drilling 11 of these wells.

The task of drilling the remaining 24 wells will be offered to private companies through open bidding processes.

During the 2026-28 period, additional 100 gas wells will be drilled. Thirty-one of these projects would involve repairing or improving existing wells for allowing additional gas extraction. Invasive techniques, such as wireline, coiled tubing, or snubbing would be used, to this end.

Among the remaining 69, BAPEX will drill 43 wells, including 10 with support from hired rigs, and 26 will be drilled by tender winners.