* Sylhet Gas Field discovered an oil reserve at the first layer at well No-10 in December 2023
* The extraction at well No-10 reached a depth of 2,576 metres, after testing, the presence of oil was confirmed
* Total project cost includes Tk 909 crore as government loan, BAPEX contributing Tk 227.25 crore
Petrobangla has launched an ambitious deep-drilling campaign across Brahmanbaria and Sylhet, signalling a decisive pivot toward boosting domestic energy output and cutting reliance on imports.
Backed by fresh seismic data, Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited has identified promising gas reserves in Brahmanbaria, potentially ranging between one and one-and-a-half trillion cubic feet.
Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited conducted 3D seismic surveys, which confirmed potential gas reserves in the Brahmanbaria area. Officials estimated that the reserve at the site could range between one and one and a half trillion cubic feet.
In a similar way, Sylhet Gas Field discovered an oil reserve at the first layer at well No-10 in December 2023 but did not go for any significant work there.
"The reserve will be able to produce 500-600 barrels of oil per day. It was estimated that four layers of reserve oil have also been discovered and the oil reserve could last for15 years, adding, and further testing will determine the extent of the deposit."
The extraction at well No-10 reached a depth of 2,576 metres and after testing, the presence of oil was confirmed at the first layer, at a depth of 1,397-1,445 metres. A total of 35 barrels of oil will be extracted from there per hour. As such, it is possible to extract 500-600 barrels of oil per day. The average price of the oil will be around Tk. 8,500 crore, officials said.
Taking the previous seismic and well results in hand, the present government has initiated this big move to drill two deep exploration wells at Titas and Bakhrabad and Sylhet Gas fields to ascertain the presence of oil and gas reserves in these three vital fields.
On May 2, the Finance Division approved drilling three deep exploration wells, including two for gas and one for oil, to boost domestic energy output, alongside multiple procurement decisions covering fuel imports, fertiliser and food supplies amid rising demand and global uncertainty.
According to the project proposal, the three wells-Shrikail Deep-1, Mobarakpur Deep-1 and Fenchuganj South-1-will be drilled in three upazilas in Chattogram, Sylhet and Rajshahi divisions.
Through this initiative, Petrobangla kicked off deep drilling exploratory wells, first of this kind in country's gas exploration at a depth of 5,600-6,000 metres to supply around 15 million cubic feet of gas daily to the national grid at a cost of Tk594 crore at Titas Gas Field in Brahmanbaria.
Bangladesh has drilled at depths of 3,500 to 4,000 metres, a new milestone under Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited (BGFCL).
"The well was drilled to a depth of almost 5,600 metres, obviously it's a big challenge but due to massive extraction over the years, this field led to declining pressure and reserves in most wells, reduced output, now we want to explore in more depth areas….its new for Bangladesh but common in gas industries to explore every inch of a reservoir," former energy adviser Dr. M. Tamim has said.
No one knows what will happen but it's a good attempt, oil and gas discovery is always a risky venture ...it depends on our fate but the potential of these fields is apparently higher compared to other fields, the energy expert has said.
Earlier, on 30 April, 2026, the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase approved proposals from the Energy and Mineral Resources Division to intensify exploration in deeper geological formations under the plan, Shrikail Deep-1 and Mobarakpur Deep-1 gas wells will be drilled on a turnkey basis covering design, equipment supply, construction and testing.
Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral resources Iqbal Hasan Mahmood said the importance of domestic gas and oil has grown further amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Under the initiative, both Srikail Deep-1 and Mobarakpur Deep-1 will be drilled to depths of 6,000 metres, while Fenchuganj South-1 will reach 4,000 metres.
Officials said the total project cost includes Tk 909 crore as a government loan, with BAPEX contributing Tk 227.25 crore from its own funds. In a major push to boost domestic energy production and reduce reliance on costly imports, the government will drill three new gas wells in the country involving Tk 1,136 crore.
The project is scheduled to continue from October 2025 to December 2027.
