Agreement sealed with Chinese firm to drill Titas and Bakhrabad gas wells at Tk 7.98bn

The project will run until December 2027 as authorities expect the move to ease the gas supply shortfall

Bangladesh Gas Fields Company Limited (BGFCL) has signed a Tk 7.98 billion agreement with a Chinese drilling firm to explore gas from deeper layers of the Titas and Bakhrabad fields, aiming to bolster the country’s fuel supply.

The agreement was signed on Thursday at the Petrobangla headquarters in Dhaka with Chuanqing Drilling Engineering Company Limited (CCDC), a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

Under the contract, CCDC will drill two deep exploratory wells -- Titas-31 Deep in Brahmanbaria, with a target depth of 5,600m, and Bakhrabad-11 Deep in Cumilla (4,300 metres) -- to tap into new gas reserves at greater depths.

The project will be implemented between July 2025 and December 2027.

Of the total cost, Tk 5.59 billion will come as a government loan, while Tk 2.40 billion will be funded by BGFCL.

Once completed, the project is expected to add an estimated 15 million cubic feet of gas per day from Titas-31 Deep and 10 million cubic feet per day from Bakhrabad-11 Deep to the national grid.