The Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (BAPEX) has begun drilling a new gas well at Barocharigaon in Shenbagh upazila of Noakhali, aiming to boost domestic natural gas production.

Drilling work started on Tuesday under the Sundalpur-4 Evaluation and Development Well Drilling Project, BAPEX officials said.

The state-owned exploration company expects the new well to initially produce around 7 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, which will be supplied to the national grid.

According to BAPEX, the drilling operation is expected to continue for 45 days, with an initial target depth of 1,550 metres. The company hopes to identify natural gas in two separate zones.

"The total recoverable gas reserve will be determined after the drilling operation is completed," said Zakir Hossain, drilling in-charge of the project.

Natural gas exploration in Noakhali began in 1976, when Petrobangla drilled its first exploratory well in Begumganj upazila. A second well was drilled in 1978, but neither yielded commercially viable gas.

In 2013, BAPEX began drilling the third well in the area. Following maintenance work in 2018, the well has been producing around 8 million cubic feet of gas per day, which is being supplied to the national grid.

BAPEX has also drilled three wells under the Sundalpur project—Sundalpur-1, Sundalpur-2 and Sundalpur-3. Gas production from Sundalpur-1 and Sundalpur-3 is currently suspended, while Sundalpur-2 continues to supply gas to the national grid.