Bangladesh’s flagship 150-well drilling program has achieved only about one-third of its targeted increase in natural gas production after four years, as declining output from ageing gas fields continues to outweigh new production, increasing the country’s dependence on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG).
According to official data and a recent presentation submitted to the Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD), the program has added only 126 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) of gas to the national grid, representing just 35.6 percent of its Development Project Proposal (DPP) target of 353 MMCFD.
Over the same four-year period, however, natural gas production from state-owned fields has declined by 140 MMCFD, with output falling to 709 MMCFD as of July 7, 2026, from 849 MMCFD recorded on July 6, 2022, according to Petrobangla.
The program was designed to substantially boost domestic gas production and reduce Bangladesh’s dependence on imported LNG, but production declines at mature gas fields have continued to erode much of the gains achieved through new drilling.
So far, 29 wells—including 15 exploration and development wells and 14 workover operations—have been completed, while drilling and workover activities are underway at another eight wells.
