Efforts to unlock Bangladesh’s untapped southern gas reserves have gathered pace as the government pushes forward with plans to transmit stranded Bhola gas to the mainland and step up exploration along the south coast.

Officials said the state-run Gas Transmission Company Ltd (GTCL) is conducting a feasibility study to connect Bhola’s gas fields to the national grid through a transmission pipeline extending from Bhola to Aminbazar via Barishal.

The study aims to identify the most cost-effective route to transport the island’s unused gas resources and is expected to be completed by February 2026.

According to preliminary findings, a 24-inch-diameter pipeline could transmit between 250 and 300 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas. The estimated cost for constructing the Bhola–Barishal section stands at around Tk 27 billion. GTCL has also engaged the Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) to conduct the feasibility study for the Barishal–Aminbazar segment.

Parallel to the pipeline initiative, state-owned Petrobangla is advancing exploration activities in Bhola to assess its hydrocarbon potential better. The corporation plans to drill 19 new wells over the next few years, with its subsidiary, Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Ltd (BAPEX), set to assign China’s Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corporation to drill five of them this year.

A Petrobangla official said tenders for the remaining 14 wells will be floated soon. A joint study by Russian energy firm Gazprom and BAPEX last year estimated Bhola’s potential gas reserves at up to 5 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), based on 3D and 2D seismic surveys covering Shahbazpur, Elisha, and Char Fasion areas.

Currently, Bhola’s Shahbazpur field produces around 73 mmcfd from four wells, though total production capacity across developed fields stands near 200 mmcfd. Due to limited local demand and inadequate transmission facilities, about 130 mmcfd of gas remains unused on the island.

Officials said the proposed pipeline would enable efficient use of this surplus supply, helping ease the country’s chronic fuel shortage and strengthen energy security as domestic reserves continue to deplete.