In all, Reliance has a stake in 34 exploration blocks in the country.
A group of ministers, constituted to look into pricing and utilization of natural gas produced from new fields like the KG-D6 of Reliance Industries, is likely to hold its first meeting on August 27.
Lawyer T S Doabia told the court the government's approval was necessary for the rate at which RIL sells the gas to other private parties. The division bench of Justices J N Patel and K K Tated pointed out that, according to RNRL, the government stated in Parliament it would not be fixing the gas price, except for its own share. When told this was not contrary to what Doabia was saying, the court asked him to file an affidavit, clarifying the government's position.
RIL has discovered more gas in Krishna offshore basin. The company has named this block Dhirubhai - 38.
The company had made its first breakthrough in the US in April when it had acquired 40 per cent stake in Atlas Energy Inc's 3,00,000 acres shale gas property for $1.7 billion. Atlas' Marcellus shale gas project spans parts of West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York.
Reliance Industries Ltd has decided not to use its allocation of gas from the Krishna-Godavari basin's D6 field for petrochemical production; it will, instead, swap it with gas available from other sources. It will use D6 gas only for power generation.
GAIL on Wednesday said it is in talks with Reliance for laying a Rs 6,725 crore pipeline from Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh to Uran to pipe natural gas from RIL's gas fields in Bay of Bengal to consumption centres in West and North.
The length of the main trunk pipeline is 1,385 km from Kakinada to Bharuch and 75 km is the length of the spur lines.
In a surprise move, oil regulator DGH has asked Reliance Industries to include the marketing margin the company charges on sale of natural gas from its field to the approved gas price for calculating the government's share from the project.
At $4.64 per mBtu, KG gas is alleged to be over-priced.
Anil Ambani Group firm Reliance Fuel Resources Ltd has sought government permission to lay a Rs 16,000-crore (Rs 160 billion) pipeline to take natural gas from Reliance Industries-operated field off the Andhra coast to its power plant at Dadri in UP.
Samajwadi Party-backed traders had staged demonstrations outside a few Reliance Fresh stores on the inaugural day. Terming the demonstrations as a "law and order problem", the Mayawati administration ordered the prompt closure of all stores.
The current price is among the lowest in Asia Pacific.
Close on the heels of getting nod to invest $ 7.2 billion in Reliance Industries' oil and gas properties, BP Plc on Wednesday said output from Mukesh Ambani-run firm's KG-D6 gas fields can rise only in 2014 after new fields in the area are quickly brought into production.
The Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council has approved Reliance Industries' 4.33 dollars per mBtu price of gas from KG-D6 fields, saying it was in line with industry practices.
ONGCt has made another significant oil and gas discovery in its Krishna Godavari basin.
Reliance Industries' eastern offshore KG D-6 field's gas production will double to around 90 million standard cubic meters per day by next fiscal, government's background material for the Economic Editor's Conference said.
Reliance Industries on Monday said its city gas would be cheaper by almost 33 per cent compared to liquefied petroleum gas being supplied by oil PSUs.
RIL, which began gas production from KG-D6 fields in April last year, is currently producing 63-64 million standard cubic meters per day or 40 per cent of the nation's output.
Reliance currently holds 90 per cent interest in KG-D6.
State power utility NTPC Ltd will not lose any money even if it was to get natural gas at prices higher than those committed by Reliance Industries five years ago, the Power Ministry has told the committee on public undertakings.
"All requirements including providing bank guarantee have been met by NTPC and gas flow can start as early as tomorrow," an official said.
Of the 10 coal bed methane blocks on offer, bids were received only for 8. RIL bid for one block. Of the 24 deep water blocks on offer, bids were received only for eight.
Justice Anoop V Mohta, delivering the final verdict in the gas supply row between RIL and Reliance Natural Resources Limited, asked the two companies to decide on a new gas price, as the rate of $2.34 per mBtu agreed in the family de-merger agreement had already been rejected by the government.
Mukesh Ambani-promoted Reliance Industries will lose around $1 billion (Rs 4,300 crore) a year if it sells gas to the Anil Ambani's Reliance Natural Resources at the agreed price of $2.34 per million British thermal unit
Reliance Industires made its presence felt early today following reports that the company has made its second large gas discovery at a field in Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh.
Mukesh Ambani controlled Reliance Industries fears that gas supplied to Reliance Natural Resources, belonging to younger brother Anil Ambani, would be traded to a third party as RNRL does not have a power plant, said Harish Salve, the legal counsel of RIL.
The fields have reserves of about 89 million tonnes
Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries on Friday said it may sell gas from its KG-D6 fields to RNRL at $4.20 per mmBtu if the government allocates fuel to the Anil Ambani Group firm.
The department has proposed to pool prices of imported and domestically produced natural gas.
The Reliance juggernaut is back in action with a $20-billion-plus investment plan.
This follows a letter by RIL to the ministry, justifying the increase in capex.
The oil ministry is rejecting the monetisation of new discoveries as their production will not be viable at the present price of $4.2 per mmbtu
The gas row between the Ambani brothers had its echo in the Lok Sabha on Thursday with Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav making a strong plea for gas from Reliance at cheaper rates for state-owned NTPC, a plea also being used by the Anil Ambani group.
'To sustain our growth trajectory, we must continue to explore and capitalise on growth opportunities.'
Expecting oil prices to remain under pressure, Fitch Ratings said deregulation of diesel prices in October will help in lowering the under-recoveries (which is nothing but international petroleum prices minus the subsidised retail rates).
The unit, with a capacity to produce 150 Mw of power, has been shut since March 2009. Prior to its closure due to environmental reasons, the unit was running on liquid fuel. Reliance has already signed gas sales and purchase agreements with nine power sector players for supply of 11 mmscmd of natural gas from the KG-D6 block.
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