MEET THE
SRI LANKA
LEADERSHIP TEAM
The Sri Lanka Licensing Round 2026 is led by the Petroleum Development Authority (PDASL) - the team responsible for regulating exploration and guiding investors through the licensing round.
PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF SRI LANKA (PDASL)
LEADERSHIP
The Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka (PDASL) is the national authority responsible for regulating Sri Lanka’s upstream petroleum sector, including the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas resources, as well as managing all petroleum resources in Sri Lanka. Working under the Ministry of Energy, PDASL plays a central role in managing licensing activities, promoting Sri Lanka’s hydrocarbon potential, attracting international investment and supporting the responsible development of the country’s petroleum resources.
Dr. Neil DeSilva
Director General
Dr. Neil DeSilva is an experienced geophysicist and oil and gas administrator with over 30 years in the industry.
Currently, he is the Director-General of the Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka (PDASL).
Between 2006 and 2011, he served as the Director-General of the Petroleum Resources Development Secretariat, where he managed Sri Lanka’s first Petroleum Resources Agreement (PRA).
This agreement was pivotal, leading to Cairn Lanka’s discovery of two natural gas deposits in the Mannar Basin, with a total estimated resource of about 1 trillion cubic feet (Tcf).
He has returned to Sri Lanka voluntarily to spearhead efforts to reinvigorate oil and gas exploration in the Mannar Basin, aiming to move toward production and enhance the country's economic prosperity.
His extensive experience and commitment underscore his significant role in transforming Sri Lanka’s petroleum sector.
Eng. Preeni Withanage
Director National Development
Preeni is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer with over 30 years of diverse experience in engineering and management.
She has been serving PDASL as the Director National Development since 2009 and has over 16 years of extensive experience in the regulation and management of petroleum exploration operations.
Her professional engagements in the upstream sector focus on resource monetization, local content development, contract management to ensure equitable national benefits, fiscal modeling, and the coordination of operational and environmental authorizations.
She has worked closely with international and national oil and gas operators and service providers in promoting and establishing upstream investments.
In addition, in her capacity as a senior director, she is actively involved in the formulation of relevant policies, guidelines, regulations and procurement-related activities related to upstream sector.
Chaminda Kularathna
Senior Geologist
Mr. Chaminda Kularathna is a Geoscientist with over 15 years of experience in regulatory work and technical operations within Sri Lanka’s upstream oil and gas industry.
He has extensive experience supporting geological and geophysical programs and has worked closely with many international and national oil and gas companies.
His expertise includes the acquisition, interpretation, and modeling of geological, geochemical, and geophysical data; structural geology; geological risk assessment; and commercial evaluation.
In addition, he brings nearly three years of experience in engineering geology and coal exploration.
Mr. Bimal Kasturiarachchi
Attorney-at-Law | Director Legal and Compliance
Mr. Bimal Kasturiarachchi is an experienced legal and compliance professional with extensive expertise across Sri Lanka’s energy, infrastructure and regulatory sectors.
He currently serves as Director Legal and Compliance at the Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka (PDASL), providing legal and regulatory support for Sri Lanka’s upstream petroleum sector, including licensing activities, regulatory frameworks and investor engagement.
Prior to joining PDASL, he held senior legal and compliance roles at Hambantota International Port Group and Hambantota International Port Services, following more than ten years with Lanka Electricity Company.
Mr. Kasturiarachchi holds an LL.M. from the University of Colombo, an LL.B. (Hons.) from the University of Wolverhampton and an MBA from the Australian Institute of Business. He is an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
His legal, regulatory and governance expertise supports the transparent development of Sri Lanka’s upstream petroleum industry and provides an important foundation for international investor engagement.
Dr. Ranali Perera
Petroleum Analyst
Dr. Ranali Perera is a Petroleum Analyst and an academic with a career spanning 14 years in petroleum-sector analysis, financial modelling, fiscal regime design, policy formulation and public-sector administration.
She currently serves as a Petroleum Analyst at the Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka, where she contributes to economic assessments of oil and gas projects, petroleum-sector policy development, fiscal regime reforms and strategic planning. Prior to joining the Petroleum Development Authority of Sri Lanka, Dr. Perera worked as a Consultant with the World Bank in Sri Lanka, where she contributed to policy development initiatives and supported the implementation of high-level regional knowledge and policy platforms for urban development and management. Recognised as an emerging leader in the global energy sector, Dr. Perera has been a finalist in the Rising Start category of the S&P Platts Global Energy Awards and has been recognised among the top ten Future Leaders in the Global Energy Elite Magazine.
Alongside her professional career, Dr. Perera is also a Visiting Lecturer attached to the Department of International Relations at the University of Colombo (Sri Lanka) and also serves as a resource person for educational programmes conducted within Sri Lanka in collaboration with the University of Abertay (Scotland). Her academic and professional interests encompass economics, international business, regional cooperation and economic integration, public policy and international relations. She holds a Doctorate in Economics from the University of Colombo and is a recipient of the Commonwealth Fellowship offered by the Government of India for Doctoral studies. She has obtained a Master of Business Administration Degree in International Trade and Logistics from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM), Sri Lanka, affiliated with the University of Canberra (Australia) and also possesses a Bachelor of Business Management qualification from the University of Bangalore, India.
REGISTER YOUR INTEREST
Register your organisation's interest in the Sri Lanka Licensing Round 2026 and receive further information on participation opportunities.