The route of the Bhola-Barishal-Khulna gas pipeline is set for revision, with Petrobangla deciding to proceed with a Bhola-Barishal-Dhaka pipeline while keeping the Bhola-Barishal section unchanged.
Confirming the decision, Petrobangla Chairman Rezanur Rahman stated that while a Barishal-Khulna pipeline remains in the long-term plan, the initial phase will prioritise a Bhola-Barishal-Dhaka connection.
The feasibility study for the Bhola-Barishal section has been completed, and on 5 March, the feasibility review for the Barishal-Dhaka pipeline was officially initiated.
Bhola, a coastal island district, is believed to hold substantial gas reserves, following extensive exploration efforts.
Drilling activities have confirmed the presence of gas across multiple locations, including Bhola East, Bhola North—40 km apart—as well as Muladi, Begumganj, Sundalpur, and Sangu.
Experts anticipate that after Bibiyana, this could emerge as the country’s largest natural gas reserve. The two discovered gas fields in Bhola are estimated to hold around 8 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas.
A total of nine wells have been drilled across these two fields, capable of producing nearly 200 million cubic feet of gas per day. Currently, five wells are operational, delivering 135 million cubic feet daily.
The remaining four—one awaiting pipeline installation and three nearing process plant readiness—are expected to become functional soon.
Meanwhile, state-owned BAPEX has initiated plans to drill 10 additional wells in Bhola.
Due to limited local demand, only 80 million cubic feet of gas is currently being extracted daily, and in the absence of a dedicated pipeline, it cannot be integrated into the national grid.
A previous government had permitted a company to transport five million cubic feet of compressed natural gas (CNG) daily, but the firm managed to supply a maximum of only three million cubic feet to factories in the Gazipur region.
The interim government has now commenced preparations to transport 80 million cubic feet of Bhola’s gas in liquefied natural gas (LNG) form.
According to Energy and Mineral Resources Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam, supply is expected to begin in January 2026.
However, concerns remain over the economic feasibility of this approach.
Transporting gas from Bhola to Khulna via Barishal would necessitate a 150-kilometre pipeline, a project under discussion for decades.
Estimated to cost Tk7,000-8,000 crore, the financial viability of such an investment remains uncertain, particularly given lenders' concerns over the sufficiency of gas reserves to justify infrastructure expenditure.
A similar project was scrapped in 2004 when the Asian Development Bank demanded financial guarantees.
Funding constraints have long stalled pipeline development, even as the country continues spending significantly on LNG imports.
For instance, a single cargo of imported LNG, procured at August’s tendered rate, cost Tk649 crore—equivalent to a day's national gas demand of 3,000 million cubic feet.
Additionally, the nation incurs substantial expenses on floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) rentals.
Petrobangla plans to import 115 LNG cargoes this year alone.
As domestic gas reserves dwindle, production has steadily declined.
At its peak, Bangladesh’s gas fields produced 2,800 million cubic feet per day; this has now fallen below 1,900 million.
The depletion of the country’s largest gas field, Bibiyana, is particularly alarming.
While it once yielded 1,350 million cubic feet daily, output dropped to just 945 million cubic feet on 4 March.
Estimates suggest that Bibiyana’s reserves could be exhausted by 2026, potentially triggering severe gas shortages in Dhaka and surrounding industrial zones.
The gas crisis is already acute in key industrial regions such as Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur, and Tongi.
As Bibiyana’s output declines further, the situation is expected to deteriorate. To mitigate the impact, Petrobangla is prioritising the Barishal-Dhaka pipeline over other expansion projects, as viable alternatives remain limited.
Since gas exploration began in Bangladesh over a century ago, only 99 exploratory wells have been drilled, leading to the discovery of 29 gas fields. Some locations, including Mobarakpur and Kasba, have shown gas presence but were not deemed commercially viable.
By comparison, the United States drills one well per 14 square kilometres, and India one per 18.6 square kilometres, whereas Bangladesh averages just one per 5,000 square kilometres.
Energy experts continue to attribute the country’s gas crisis to stagnation in exploration activities.