Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited
A Bangladesh government-owned company responsible for petroleum exploration and production.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited, commonly known as BAPEX, is a Bangladesh government-owned petroleum company focused on the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. The company was established in 1989 when the Government of Bangladesh separated the Exploration Directorate of Petrobangla and constituted it as a dedicated exploration and production enterprise. Its formation reflected the importance of developing domestic technical and operational capacity in Bangladesh's upstream petroleum sector. BAPEX operates within Bangladesh's state-controlled energy framework and is associated with Petrobangla, the country's principal state-owned organization for the petroleum, natural gas, and mineral-resource sector. Its role is primarily upstream: identifying and evaluating hydrocarbon prospects, drilling and developing fields, and producing petroleum resources where commercially viable deposits are found. The company's activities are therefore distinct from fuel retailing and downstream petroleum marketing. The company has been involved in gas exploration and field development in several parts of Bangladesh. In October 2017, BAPEX reported a gas discovery in the Bhola area, associated with the Shahbazpur Gas Field. In March 2020, it reported the discovery of the Srikail Gas Field in Comilla District. These discoveries illustrate BAPEX's continuing contribution to domestic natural-gas exploration and to Bangladesh's efforts to expand indigenous energy supplies. BAPEX's public identity is closely tied to national resource development rather than consumer branding. Its significance lies in its institutional role as a state upstream operator and in its participation in Bangladesh's search for domestic petroleum reserves. Publicly available reference material identifies petroleum exploration and production as its core mandate, but does not provide sufficient verified information for a fuller account of its current production volumes, reserves, financial performance, executive leadership, or international operations.
History
BAPEX was created in 1989 by the Government of Bangladesh from the Exploration Directorate of Petrobangla. The institutional change established a dedicated company for petroleum exploration and production, separating upstream exploration responsibilities from the broader functions of Petrobangla. Its creation placed BAPEX within Bangladesh's state-owned energy system and gave it a specific mandate to investigate the country's hydrocarbon potential and develop discoveries. The company's work has centered on upstream petroleum activity in Bangladesh, particularly the search for natural gas. This includes exploration of prospective geological structures, drilling, assessment of discoveries, and participation in the development and production of gas fields. As a domestic state operator, BAPEX contributes to the country's effort to identify and use indigenous energy resources rather than relying exclusively on imported hydrocarbons. A reported milestone came in October 2017, when BAPEX discovered gas in the Bhola area at the Shahbazpur Gas Field. The discovery demonstrated the company's continuing involvement in exploration outside Bangladesh's established producing areas and added to the country's known gas-resource base. In March 2020, BAPEX reported the discovery of the Srikail Gas Field in Comilla District. This further illustrated its role in extending exploration and field development activity within Bangladesh. BAPEX remains associated with Petrobangla and is described in reference material as a Bangladesh government-owned company responsible for petroleum exploration and production. The available sources establish its founding history, ownership context, and two reported gas discoveries, but do not contain enough verified information to document a complete chronology of management changes, production statistics, financial results, corporate reorganizations, or overseas operations.
- 2020
Srikail Gas Field discovery
[1]BAPEX discovered the Srikail Gas Field in Comilla District.
- 2017
Gas discovery at Shahbazpur Gas Field
[1]BAPEX discovered gas in the Bhola area at the Shahbazpur Gas Field.
- 1989
BAPEX is established
[1]The Government of Bangladesh formed BAPEX from the Exploration Directorate of Petrobangla to serve as a dedicated petroleum exploration and production company.
Products and positioning
A state-owned Bangladeshi upstream petroleum company supporting domestic oil and natural-gas exploration, field development, and production.
Upstream energy production
Natural gas
Natural gas is BAPEX's principal documented production focus. The company explores for gas-bearing geological structures, drills and evaluates wells, and participates in the development of discovered gas fields in Bangladesh. Its reported discoveries at Shahbazpur in the Bhola area and at Srikail in Comilla District are examples of this upstream activity.
Upstream exploration · 1989
Petroleum resources
BAPEX's formal remit covers petroleum exploration and production. Public reference material does not establish a detailed commercial crude-oil product portfolio, but the company's mandate includes investigating and developing Bangladesh's domestic petroleum potential alongside its natural-gas activities.
Recent events
- 2020
BAPEX reports discovery of Srikail Gas Field in Comilla District[1]
Other
BAPEX reported the discovery of the Srikail Gas Field in Comilla District, continuing the company's role in Bangladesh's domestic gas-exploration program.
- 2017
BAPEX reports gas discovery at Shahbazpur Gas Field in Bhola[1]
Other
BAPEX discovered gas in the Bhola area at the Shahbazpur Gas Field, marking a reported addition to Bangladesh's domestic natural-gas resource base.
Sources1 sources
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