State-owned Petrobangla may get the final nod sometime next June and invite international bidding in July for awarding the country's gas blocks, energy ministry sources said.
According to officials, preparations are being taken to invite international oil companies (IOC) in “Bidding Round 2011” by mid-June.
This will be the fourth international bidding after the last caretaker government invited the third round bidding in 2008.
The ministry officials said the nagging gas crisis prompted the government to go for hurried international bidding.
An official said Petrobangla already prepared a map for the whole bidding area covering both offshore and onshore areas.
As per the bidding plan, the country's total area was divided into 68 gas blocks. But bidding will be held for only 31 blocks -- 23 in onshore areas and eight in offshore areas. During the last bidding, there were 57 gas blocks.
He said the deep-sea blocks were left out as there are disputes of overlapping with neighbouring countries.