Dhaka, Jan 24 (IANS): Bangladesh has discovered a new natural gas reserve in the southern part of the country with the possibility of a significant amount of fossil fuel in the new structure.

The gas structure in Bhola district has been discovered by the state-run Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (BAPEX), reports Xinhua news agency.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid announced the discovery of the new gas reserve.

According to a statement from his Ministry, the newly discovered Bhola North-2 Appraisal Well has probable gas extraction of over 20 million cubic feet per day.

BAPEX struck gas by digging about 3,428 meters deep.

Petrobangla (Bangladesh Oil, Gas & Mineral Corporation) will dig 46 new exploration, development and work-over wells by 2025, the minister wrote on his Facebook page.

Also, the Minister stressed the need for continuing exploration for natural gas in the South Asian country.

Over the last few years, BAPEX discovered about a dozen small- to medium-sized fields.

The biggest field so far is in Bhola, an offshore island covering an area of 3,403.48 sq km and about 205 km south of the capital Dhaka, which boasts hundreds of billions of cubic feet of reserves.