Petrobangla accelerates oil and gas exploration activities to address energy crisis

 
In order to address the country's current energy crisis, Petrobangla is committed to maintaining a stable balance between demand and supply by increasing gas supply from domestic sources. To this end, Petrobangla has intensified several exploration programs including workplan of 50 wells drilling and workover by 2025-26 and 100 wells drilling and workover by 2026-28. 

As part of this exploration activities, Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (BAPEX) has discovered commercial gas in Block-8 through the drilling of Jamalpur-1 exploration well which is the first ever discovery in this block. 

To assess the reservoir and extension of reservoir sand in Jamalpur structure, two more wells (one exploration well & one development well) have been planned to drill and DPP is underway accordingly, said a press release on Wednesday. 

Apart from this, existence of crude oil has been noticed in Haripur Structure during drilling of Sylhet-10 well in Haripur Gas Field under Petrobangla.
To evaluate the commercial recovery of oil reservoir, program of Sylhet-12 oil well drilling has been undertaken. A total of 19 (Nineteen) more wells will be drilled to evaluate the discovered gas reserve along with the aerial extension of reservoir zone of gas fields located in Bhola, the largest island of Bangladesh. 

The explored gas of Bhola island will be supplied to the proposed industrial hub in Bhola, which will play a pivotal role in the economic advancement by developing employment opportunity of the southern region of Bangladesh. Furthermore, to assess the deeper prospects of gas reserves drilling activities of 4 (four) deep wells (two wells in Titas and Bakhrabad fields under BGFCL and two wells in Srikail field and Mobarakpur Structure under BAPEX) is going on. 

At the same time, seismic data acquisition processing and interpretation are being carried out by BAPEX, BGFCL, and SGFL in their respective blocks to identify new leads/prospects and drillable well locations. Currently, a total of 8 (eight) drilling rigs including five rigs from BAPEX & three rigs by turn key are in operation to drill 8(eight) wells. From November 27, 2025, drilling of the Titas-28 development well will be commenced using a contractor rig under turn key. 

It is expected that, drilling of the Titas-31 deep exploration well under BGFCL will be commenced by January, 2026 using another rig under turn key. Furthermore, BAPEX is going to sign with third party contractor under open tender method in order to drill 5 (five) wells in Bhola region. It is anticipated that by January 2026, a total of 11 rigs (five rigs from BAPEX rigs and six rigs under turnkey) will be engaged in drilling and workover operations of 11 wells concurrently.  In order to expedite drilling operation by BAPEX, the process of purchasing 2 more new rigs is underway, in addition to BAPEX's existing five rigs.

Upon successful completion of these 11 wells, it is expected, about 143 million cubic feet of gas per day (MMCFD) will be supplied to the l pipe line. Consequently, gas production from indigenous sources will be elevated, which will strengthen the national economy by mitigating the existing gas crisis of Bangladesh.