Bangladesh’s Gas Reserves Can Meet Demand for 12 More Years, Says Energy Minister

Bangladesh’s existing natural gas reserves are sufficient to meet the country’s demand for the next 12 years at the current consumption rate, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hasan Mahmud has said.

The minister made the statement on Sunday while responding to a question in the national parliament session chaired by Deputy Speaker Kaisar Kamal.

According to official data, Bangladesh’s total recoverable natural gas reserves stand at 29.74 trillion cubic feet. Of this, approximately 22.11 trillion cubic feet had already been extracted by December 2025, leaving around 7.63 trillion cubic feet as of January 1, 2026.

The minister explained that if no new gas fields are discovered and daily supply continues at around 1,700 million cubic feet, the remaining reserves would be enough to sustain the country’s energy needs for about 12 years.

He also emphasized ongoing efforts to strengthen the country’s energy security through increased exploration and production. Under a master plan led by Petrobangla, the government aims to drill a total of 100 wells.

So far, work on 26 wells including drilling and workover operations has been completed, while the remaining projects are currently at various stages of implementation.
 

Officials expressed optimism that successful exploration activities could significantly enhance the country’s gas reserves in the coming years, reducing dependency on imports and supporting long-term energy stability.