Gas supply from the Srikail-5 appraisal-cum-development well in Muradnagar of Cumilla has begun, adding around 8 million cubic feet of gas per day to the national grid, officials said on Saturday.
Power, Energy and Mineral Resources State Minister Anindya Islam Amit inaugurated the supply operation.
He thanked local residents for their cooperation in implementing the project.
“On this holy day of Ramadan we have been able to make an important addition to the country’s energy sector,” said Power, Energy and Mineral Resources State Minister Anindya Islam Amit.
He said global energy supply chains are facing challenges due to instability in the Middle East and the addition of domestic gas to the national grid is therefore an encouraging development for Bangladesh.
The state minister credited engineers and officials of Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Ltd for the successful supply from the Srikail-5 well.
He said the government has set a target to supply 82 million cubic feet of gas to the national grid through domestic production and expressed optimism that the goal could be achieved through realistic plans and the efforts of BAPEX personnel.
He also thanked residents of Mukhlespur and Muradnagar, saying such projects cannot be implemented without cooperation from local communities.
The government is working to reduce dependence on imported energy and increase self-sufficiency by utilising domestic resources, he said.
He added that the government aims to meet a significant portion of the country’s gas demand from domestic sources within the next five years through efficient use of natural resources.
The minister said transparency and accountability will be ensured in extracting and utilising national resources so that people understand how those resources are used for development.
According to officials, drilling of the Srikail-5 well began on September 28 last year and was completed on January 1, 2026.
The project was implemented at a cost of around Tk132 crore.
The well is estimated to contain about 40 billion cubic feet of gas, of which around 28 billion cubic feet is considered recoverable.
Officials said the gas expected to be produced from the well over the next 10 years is estimated to be worth around Tk6,832 crore at current market prices.
Importing an equivalent volume of gas would have placed additional pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves, they added.
Petrobangla Chairman Md Ifanul Haque presided over the inauguration ceremony.
Energy and Mineral Resources Division Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam, local representatives from Muradnagar, senior officials of BAPEX and Petrobangla and members of the media attended the event.
