Bangladesh is set to launch an international promotional campaign ahead of its Offshore Bidding Round 2026, seeking to attract major global energy companies to explore oil and gas reserves in the Bay of Bengal, senior government officials have said.
The government plans to begin its investment roadshow in the United States and Singapore, two of the world’s leading energy investment hubs, as part of efforts to generate greater international interest in the country’s offshore hydrocarbon sector.
We will launch an international promotional campaign in the United States and Singapore between mid-August and mid-September to attract international oil companies,” Mohammad Saiful Islam, Secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD), told Just Energy News today.
As part of the outreach programme, electronic invitations have been sent to 106 international oil companies (IOCs), while Bangladesh’s diplomatic missions abroad have been instructed to actively promote the bidding round to prospective investors, officials said.
The government also plans to showcase the licensing round at major international energy conferences and roadshows. State-owned Petrobangla has been tasked with identifying suitable industry events and promotional opportunities.
“We are planning to organise side events at major international energy and hydrocarbon conferences in Houston, United States, and Singapore,” Petrobangla Chairman Md Abdul Mannan told Just Energy News.
The promotional strategy was discussed at a meeting on 24 June, where officials reviewed plans to produce presentations, brochures and promotional videos highlighting Bangladesh’s offshore hydrocarbon potential.
The meeting, chaired by EMRD Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam, directed Petrobangla to submit within three days a list of national and international conferences where the bidding round could be promoted, along with estimated participation costs.
Petrobangla was also instructed to identify international public relations firms capable of supporting a global marketing campaign for the offshore licensing round.
In addition, officials agreed to engage companies with experience in organising international licensing rounds and investment promotion, including firms involved in previous offshore bid rounds, to strengthen Bangladesh’s outreach to potential investors.
The promotional campaign comes as Bangladesh seeks to revive offshore exploration after earlier licensing rounds failed to attract bids from major international operators.
To improve investor confidence, the government has revised its production-sharing contract (PSC), offering more competitive commercial and fiscal terms in an effort to make offshore exploration in the Bay of Bengal more attractive to global energy companies.
At least five local and foreign companies have collected information packages for Bangladesh’s latest offshore oil and gas exploration bidding round in the Bay of Bengal, signalling early interest from international investors in the country’s upstream energy sector.
State-owned oil and gas corporation Petrobangla informed the Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) of the development during a review meeting on the Offshore Bidding Round 2026 held at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Wednesday.
According to officials familiar with the proceedings, Singapore-based upstream exploration company KrisEnergy is among the firms that have obtained the bidding documents.
Norway-headquartered Rystad Energy, a leading independent energy research and business intelligence company, has also purchased the information package. The company is widely recognised for its analysis and consultancy services across the global energy sector.
Another interested party is Beringia Power BD Ltd, a sister concern of US-based Beringia Energy. The company currently operates two heavy fuel oil (HFO)-based power plants in Bangladesh under the Dhaka North and Dhaka South projects, according to official sources.
Japanese firm ONODO Inc. has also collected the offshore bidding documents.
Officials said a fifth company has similarly acquired the information package, although details were not immediately disclosed.
The offshore bidding round, launched last month, is part of Bangladesh’s efforts to attract foreign investment and accelerate exploration activities in its largely untapped offshore areas of the Bay of Bengal, as the country seeks to strengthen long-term energy security and reduce dependence on imported fuels.