Dhaka, September 8, 2026: Bangladesh’s gas supply is unlikely to return to its pre-crisis level in the near term despite indications from Petrobangla and the Energy and Mineral Resources Division that supplies may improve from next week.
Before the crisis began on July 21, the country supplied around 2,700 MMCFD of gas. On Tuesday, supply stood at 2,329 MMCFD, including 1,620 MMCFD from domestic fields and 709 MMCFD of imported LNG.
Although LNG import capacity is around 1,100 MMCFD, Petrobangla currently plans to increase imports by only about 300 MMCFD. Meanwhile, domestic gas production has fallen from 1,656 MMCFD on July 21 to 1,620 MMCFD, with declining reserves expected to further reduce output.
A major concern is the declining production of Bibiyana, one of the country’s largest gas fields. Production from the field has fallen from around 1,350 MMCFD at its peak to about 730 MMCFD on September 7.
The declining domestic supply comes at a time when gas demand is rising. Petrobangla estimates that around 2,500 MMCFD is required for power generation, but only 861 MMCFD was supplied to the power sector on September 7, contributing to severe load-shedding.
Fertilizer production is also being affected, with supply at 195 MMCFD against demand of 329 MMCFD.
Petrobangla officials said the crisis began after a fire at Excelerate Energy’s FSRU on July 21 and was later compounded by LNG cargo shortages. Disruptions in LNG supplies from Qatar and Oman have forced Bangladesh to rely more heavily on the spot market, where prices are significantly higher.
The government expects gas supplies to improve in the coming days. However, officials and industry observers warn that restoring supply to pre-July levels will remain difficult without additional LNG infrastructure and pipelines, raising concerns over deeper shortages in 2027 and 2028.
