In a strategic move to boost offshore energy exploration and operational efficiency, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) and Reliance Industries Ltd have signed an agreement to share resources such as supply vessels used in finding and producing oil and gas.
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has struck a large gas field in the Krishna-Godavari basin in Bay of Bengal, home for the gigantic gas find of Reliance Industries Ltd.
Once all formalities are completed, the ONGC consortium will spend about Rs 1,700 crore (Rs 17 billion) on developing these three blocks, sources indicated.
The company has chalked out a detailed plan for development of its existing KG basin assets after integration with GSPC facilities.
The government has slapped a $2.81 billion (about Rs 24,500 crore) demand notice on Reliance Industries and its partners, including BP Plc for gains made from producing and selling natural gas that may have migrated from neighbouring block of state-owned ONGC. This follows the Delhi high court's decision on February 14, overturning an international arbitration tribunal ruling that held the duo not responsible for paying any compensation for the gas they produced and sold which had allegedly migrated from adjoining fields.
India's biggest oil and gas bid round attracted four bidders that included state-owned ONGC and OIL and private sector Vedanta Ltd, with most blocks getting just two bids, according to Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH). The OALP-IX bid round, where 28 blocks or areas spread over 1.36 lakh square kilometre were offered for finding and producing oil and gas, for the first time saw Reliance Industries Ltd-bp plc combine bidding together with ONGC for one block in Gujarat offshore.
State-owned Oil & Natural Gas Corp's (ONGC) Krishna Godavari basin well that had been leaking natural gas for over two months now, has stoped flowing gas, the government said.
Reliance had last month struck gas in the fourth successive well on the block KG-DWN-2003/1 that lies close to its prolific D6 area in the Krishna-Godavari Basin in the Bay of Bengal.
Reliance Industries has proposed to invest an additional $1.5 billion in bringing to production four gas discoveries adjoining its prolific gas fields in Krishna-Godavari basin in the country's east coast.
Reliance Industries Ltd on Friday reported a 9 per cent rise in its December quarter net profit as a planned maintenance-induced weakness in oil business earnings was offset by stability in retail and telecom verticals. The oil-to-retail-to-telecom conglomerate's consolidated net profit of Rs 17,265 crore, or Rs 25.52 per share, in October-December - the third quarter of the current 2023-24 fiscal - was 9.3 per cent higher than Rs 15,792 crore, or Rs 23.19 a share, earning a year back, according to a company statement. Quarter-on-quarter, the profit was lower when compared to Rs 17,394 crore earnings in the preceding three months ended September 30.
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Kejriwal, whose group India Against Corruption, has won publicity in India by accusing ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra of taking part in shady dealings, said on Wednesday that Reliance has profited from cosy relationships with a string of government ministers.
Videocon's Venugopal Dhoot has become the most successful maverick in oil and gas business in India.
Sharp decline in production from flagship Krishna-Godavari basin has changed the business mix for the company.
He also described Moily as Mukesh Ambani's agent.
In its first decision, the Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) on Wednesday cleared Reliance Industries' producing KG-D6 block and gas discovery area NEC-25 along with 3 other areas where the Defence Ministry had either barred oil and gas activity or put stringent conditions on that.
Burdened with loans of over Rs 12,000 crore, GSPC has made an investment of Rs 7,000 cr in E&P at the block in the KG basin.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha Tapan Sen, in an interview to Rediff.com, explains what he believes are the irregularities committed by Reliance Industries and how UPA government has allowed it to get away with it.
'It is very difficult to be an honest politician in a country where the system is absolutely corrupt. Jaipal Reddy is one up even on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who is considered clean and honest. Reddy has gone a step ahead by playing an active role in stopping corruption. He has put things on record; he has walked the extra mile to ensure that public money is valued highly. One must recognise Reddy's efforts, and make it an example for India's younger generation.'
The company also said it has made three oil and gas discoveries in Krishna Godavari basin and Tripura.
State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will shortly farm out nearly 26 per cent stake in its KG-DWN-2004/6 block in the Krishna-Godavari basin to Japan's Inpex Corporation.
Oil Ministry officials insisted that Defence Ministry cannot withdraw the clearance after 12 years of exploration.
Analysts say the company's petrochemical segment and higher other income would boost its revenues. On an average, brokerages expect RIL's net profit to rise 12-17 per cent compared with the year-ago period.
The Delhi high court (HC) division Bench on Thursday sought a response from Reliance Industries (RIL) and others regarding the government's appeal against the Mukesh Ambani-owned conglomerate and others for fraudulently and unjustly enriching themselves by draining gas from their deposits, amounting to over $1.5 billion. The Centre had appealed against the single-judge Bench order of the Delhi HC on May 9, which had dismissed its petition. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani had upheld the international arbitration award of July 24, 2018, in favour of the RIL-led consortium. The consortium includes UK-based BP Plc and Niko Resources of Canada.
The government will now examine the report and decide on how and to what extend should ONGC be compensated for its gas being produced by RIL.
Move came in the wake of government's refusal to settle the dispute through arbitration over recovery of cost incurred by the company.
Reliance Industries is awaiting government approval for two gas discoveries it has made in the Krishna Godavari basin deep sea block, the company's junior partner Hardy Oil & Gas said.
The auditor said that it has unfettered right of access to all records of Reliance Industries (RIL) during its audit of operations in the Krishna-Godavari basin and would override any conditions sought to be imposed on the process.
Oil and Natural Gas Corp is in talks to hire Reliance Industries' unutilised production facilities on the east to quickly bring to production its gas finds in the Krishna Godavari basin.
Reliance Industries has sought tripling of its KG-D6 gas price from April 1, 2014 after the current below market rate of USD 4.205 per mmBtu expires.
Besides Mukherjee and Deora, the EGoM would have power minister Sushilkumar Shinde, fertiliser minister M K Alagiri, law minister Veerappa Moily and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
It is expected to take a similar stand at the Mumbai and Delhi high courts, where Welspun Maxsteel, Ispat Industries and Essar Steel have challenged the petroleum ministry's decision to divert KG-D6s supply from steel and petrochemicals to power and fertiliser.
RIL had in 2006 proposed to invest $2.234 billion in developing the Dhirubhai-26 or MA discovery, the only oil find in the KG-DWN-98/3 (KG-D6) block in Krishna Godavari basin off the east coast.
RIL on June 15 wrote to Oil Ministry proposing to price natural gas it produces from the Krishna Godavari basin block in Bay of Bengal at a rate equivalent to price India pays for importing liquefied natural gas, official sources said.
Reliance is seeking help from Shell to rectify glitches in D6 block in the Krishna-Godavari basin.
ONGC is set to invest Rs 440 Crore (Rs 4.4 billion) in drilling of 40 oil and gas wells in the Krishna-Godavari basin next fiscal, a senior official of the company said on Wednesday.
Needed, it says, for covering its return and risks; also wants govt to stick to contract on output sharing
Petroleo Brasileiro SA or Petrobras, Brazil's state-controlled oil firm, has offered ONGC its 15 per cent interest in the Krishna Godavari basin block that sits next to Reliance Industries prolific KG-D6 fields without any cost.
RIL on April 2 shut the well A1 on the main producing fields of Dhirubhai-1 and 3 (D1&D3) in Krishna Godavari basin block KG-DWN-98/3 or KG-D6 for "reservoir build-up study," according to a status report of the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons.
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