Sylhet Gas Fields Limited (SGFL) is pressing ahead with plans to expand domestic gas production by drilling three new wells, a move aimed at easing pressure on the country’s energy sector and reducing dependence on costly imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The state-owned company expects the project to add around 30 million cubic feet of natural gas per day (mmcfd) to the national transmission network once the wells begin commercial production.
Drilling operations are currently under way at Rashidpur-13, Dupitila-1 and Kailashtila-9, three of the eight wells included in the company’s wider development programme.
Managing Director of Sylhet Gas Fields Limited, Engineer Md Faruk Hossain, said, "Work on the three wells is still in progress, and production has yet to begin.”
He also said, "The company expects the new wells to contribute an additional 30 mmcfd of gas to the national grid once they are commissioned.”
SGFL currently supplies around 142 million cubic feet of gas each day from 17 producing wells, with the additional output expected to provide a further boost to domestic energy supplies.
Increasing local production has become a priority as Bangladesh continues to spend heavily on imported LNG to meet rising demand. The country reportedly spends between Tk45,000 crore and Tk60,000 crore each year on LNG imports, placing significant pressure on energy costs.
Energy specialists say expanding domestic exploration could help reduce import dependence while strengthening long-term energy security.
They believe Bangladesh still has considerable untapped gas and oil potential, both onshore and offshore, and have called for greater investment and closer cooperation between local and international exploration companies.
Professor Dr M Farhad Howlader of the Department of Petroleum and Mining Engineering at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology said, "Expanding exploration activities remains essential if Bangladesh is to improve its domestic energy security.”
Sylhet Gas Fields Limited occupies an important place in Bangladesh’s energy industry. The company discovered the country’s first natural gas field in 1955 and now operates under Petrobangla as a state-owned producer of both natural gas and petroleum products.
Alongside gas production, SGFL also refines and supplies fuel products that contribute to the domestic market. Company output currently meets around 30 to 35 per cent of Bangladesh’s petrol demand, 12 to 15 per cent of octane demand, about 9 per cent of diesel demand, and roughly 2 per cent of national kerosene demand.
The latest drilling programme is part of wider efforts to increase domestic energy production, as Bangladesh seeks to improve supply security while limiting the financial burden of imported fuel.
