Is the lack of exploration by Petrobangla hurting Bangladesh? An analysis

Abstract

A prolonged gas crisis has led to stagnation in Bangladesh’s manufacturing sector, which in turn has lowered the country’s GDP. Although 1000–1500 MW of installed power capacity remains idle, the government has not been able to use this redundant capacity to its advantage. To the dismay of many experts, new gas connections to meet industrial needs have been suspended for the last 8 years. This commentary explores the current exploration status of the natural gas sector in Bangladesh and concludes that the performance of various state-run companies will not be sufficient to meet the energy demands of Bangladesh’s economy.