Bangladesh has approved drilling three deep exploration wells, including two for gas and one for oil, to boost domestic energy output, alongside multiple procurement decisions covering fuel imports, fertiliser and food supplies amid rising demand and global uncertainty.
Bangladesh has approved drilling three deep exploration wells, including two for gas and one for oil, as part of efforts to boost domestic energy output, with total costs set at about 9.46 billion taka, officials said.
The decision was taken on Thursday at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.
Officials said the approvals were granted following proposals from the Energy and Mineral Resources Division to intensify exploration in deeper geological formations.
Under the plan, Shrikail Deep-1 and Mobarakpur Deep-1 gas wells will be drilled on a turnkey basis covering design, equipment supply, construction and testing.
A Chinese firm, CNPC Chuanqing Drilling Engineering Company, was selected through a two-stage, two-envelope tender process involving three bidders, officials said. The contract is valued at $59.47 million, equivalent to 7.14 billion taka.
Separately, the committee approved the drilling of the Sylhet-12 well, including associated works, under another turnkey contract.
China’s Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corporation was selected as the lowest bidder for the project, which will cost $16.22 million, or about 2.32 billion taka.
In total, the three wells will cost 9.45 billion taka, according to officials.
The meeting also approved a total of 10 procurement proposals, including purchases of diesel, lentils and fertiliser.
To meet urgent fuel demand amid volatile geopolitical conditions linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict, the committee approved the import of 100,000 tonnes of EN590 10 ppm diesel.
The fuel will be procured directly from Majeda Oil Company at a cost of 17.58 billion taka, officials said, noting that fuel import approvals have become frequent in recent meetings.
The committee also cleared the import of 35,000 tonnes of muriate of potash fertiliser from Russia under a state agreement, costing 1.57 billion taka.
In addition, approval was given to purchase 9,000 tonnes of lentils for subsidised sale among low-income families through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.
In a separate decision, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave in-principle approval to drop the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway development project from the public-private partnership list.
Officials said the move was taken as a larger project of a similar nature is progressing with financing from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
