Bangladesh’s Energy Ministry has announced the discovery of new oil and gas reserves in Sylhet, with estimated oil reserves of 8-10 million barrels and gas reserves of 200-300 billion cubic feet. State Minister Nasrul Hamid revealed plans to extract 35 barrels of oil per hour, totaling 500-600 barrels per day.
The estimated value of the reserves is Tk24,000 crore (approximately $2.18 billion), with Tk7,000 crore for oil and Tk17,000 crore for gas. Officials anticipate the discoveries will meet one month of oil demand and two to three months of gas demand. The findings, subject to testing, confirm separate deposits of oil and gas, signaling positive news for the energy sector.
The state minister expressed optimism about the reserves’ sustainability and confirmed ongoing testing to determine actual reserves. The discovery also includes gas reserves, and the government aims to achieve self-sufficiency in gas production by 2027. This announcement comes as Bangladesh grapples with a primary fuel crisis, and the new reserves are seen as a crucial development for energy security.