The government has halted plans to initiate international bidding for offshore hydrocarbon exploration in the Bay of Bengal before the upcoming general election. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the draft ‘Bangladesh Offshore Model Production Sharing Contract (PSC) 2023’ on July 26, 2023, aiming to invite international bidding for hydrocarbon exploration by December 2023.
However, the government has decided to delay the process and slow down ExxonMobil’s expression of interest (EOI) as well. The decision comes amid criticism of long-term LNG deals, with plans to revisit bidding after the formation of the new government post-election. The move was intended to attract international oil companies and investment in hydrocarbon exploration in the Bay of Bengal.