Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hassan Mahmood -File photo

SANGSAD BHABAN, April 19, 2026 (BSS) - 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 December 31, 2025, while 7.63 TCF remained in reserve as of January 1, 2026.

The minister said this in reply to a starred tabled question from ruling party lawmaker Md. Mosharraf Hossain (Bogura-4) in the House today 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 kilometers 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 kilometers 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.