Bhola Gas Reserves Lie Idle as Bangladesh Burns Through Billions on Costly LNG Imports

The gas reserves in Bhola have been left untapped for years due to indecision and lobbying in favor of LNG imports. The discovery of gas in Bhola dates back to the 1990s, but it has yet to be brought into the national grid.

Despite repeated calls for greater use of domestic gas, Bangladesh fell behind in gas exploration, extraction, and infrastructure development under the Awami League government. The country's reliance on imported LNG has become increasingly expensive and uncertain due to market volatility.

The potential reserves in Bhola are estimated at around 2 trillion cubic feet, with approximately 1.5 trillion cubic feet recoverable. Existing wells have the capacity to supply about 120 million cubic feet of gas per day, but only around 74 million cubic feet are being extracted currently.