Oil ministry this week issued written instructions to the billionaire Mukesh Ambani-run firm to make a 'pro-rata' cut in gas supplies to all existing customers if the production from its KG-D6 field cannot support new customers, two sources with direct knowledge of the information have said.
The government will next week launch the 9th round of auction under the New Exploration Licensing Policy for the oil and gas sector.
ONGC sought opinion from the second highest law officer of the country after its partner Cairn Energy Plc stated that the UK firm's sale of majority stake in Cairn India to Vedanta Resources will not trigger pre-emption rights of the state- owned firm, a top oil ministry official said.
RIL has sent a draft GSPA to Essar Oil and the contract may be inked within the next few days.
Upstream firms pay for a portion of fuel subsidies by extending discounts on crude oil they sell to refiners who are forced by the government to sell diesel and cooking fuel at rates lower than cost of production.
Oil Ministry is likely to announce the new rates sometime this week.
Government headhunters Public Enterprise Selection Board selected Srinivasan after interviewing 11 candidates at its office in New Delhi on Tuesday.
RIL's gas production from its D6 fields in the Krishna Godavari basin on Sunday touched 50.15 mmscmd. This for the first time surpasses ONGC's 49.6 mmscmd output.
In a presentation to investors in Mumbai last week, Aramane Giridhar, Joint Secretary (Exploration) gave detailed reasons for pendency of decisions in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas where officials approved of decisions but refused to issue formal orders, resulting in delays in production of oil and gas.
Natural gas produced from C-Series fields is sold to GAIL which further markets it to end users.
A 14.2-kg subsidised LPG cylinder in Delhi will now cost Rs 507.42 as against Rs 505.34 previously, according to a price notification of State-owned fuel retailers.
The government is planning to rationalise multiple prices of natural gas in the country to make fuel costs uniform for all consumers, Oil Secretary S Sundareshan said on Wednesday.
Allegations against Sibal include approving Reliance Industries' four-fold increase in capital expenditure to $8.8 billion for the nation's largest gas field KG-D6 in return of personal benefits.
The Cabinet on Thursday decided to allow Reliance Industries to almost double the price of natural gas from April provided the firm gave a bank guarantee to cover its liability if gas-hoarding charges are proved.
The petroleum ministry has sought expansion of the legal team that is to argue the government's stand on the gas dispute between the Ambani brothers before the Supreme Court beginning next week.
An Anil Ambani group company has asked the oil ministry to stop Reliance Industries Ltd from charging marketing margin on gas, alleging that the Mukesh Ambani-led firm was not sharing the revenue and 'diverting' crores (billion) of rupees of the government's share.
The finance ministry has offered less than half of the Rs 31,700 crore (Rs 317 billion) sought by the oil ministry to make up for revenue losses incurred by the state-owned retailers on sale of LPG and kerosene. Petroleum Minister Murli Deora on Thursday met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to seek compensation for the public sector oil firms for their losses but the meeting remained inconclusive.
The government plans to more than double the price of natural gas produced by Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) to $4.20 per mmBtu, in a move that will help the state-run firm break even in gas business.
Domestic fuel sales at 11.39 million tons in February were 0.2 per cent lower than 11.41 million tons of petroleum products consumption in the same month a year ago.
Deora is believed to have explained the oil ministry's position on gas pricing and utilisation.
Anil dared the oil ministry to cancel the production sharing contract with RIL if it was really aggrieved and not challenge third party agreements.
Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily approved continuation of the existing rate of $4.2 per million British thermal units until the new government, which will be in place in May, decides on implementation of the new price formula.
The government may in 'weeks' decide on raising price of natural gas produced by state-owned ONGC and Oil India by 30 per cent, petroleum secretary S Sundareshan said on Monday.
An RIL spokesperson said that the company has filed its reply to the government's petition on the gas dispute.
The government may for the first time in about five years raise price of natural gas produced by state-owned firms like Oil and Natural Gas Corporation after the finance ministry and the Planning Commission backed the proposal for a 30 per cent hike.
The Power Ministry is believed to have instructed state-run NTPC to sign a gas supply deal with Mukesh Ambani-led RIL to lift government allotted quota, while favouring that marketing margins be decided by the Oil Ministry instead of the supplier.
The Union oil ministry is considering a proposal to adopt differential pricing for diesel, under which industrial users like power utilities, will be charged market prices and retail consumers continue to be subsidised.
Industrialist Anil Ambani on Wednesday met key ministers and senior government officials in New delhi, a day after he accused the Union oil ministry of helping the Mukesh Ambani-run RIL renege its commitment on supplying gas to his group firm.
The government on Wednesday more than doubled the price of natural gas produced by state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Oil India Ltd to $4.20 per mmBtu, at par with the rate at which Reliance sells its gas.
The Petroleum Federation of India, the apex body of public and private oil firms, has submitted to the oil ministry a 100-day agenda for the new government. On top of its list is decontrol of petrol and diesel prices. Currently, public sector retailers sell auto fuel at government-dictated rates, which the private sector competition is unable to match in times of high input cost (crude oil prices).
After a series of flip-flops, NTPC is likely to finally sign an agreement with Reliance Industries this week to buy government-allotted natural gas at officially approved price of $4.20 per mmBtu.
While jet fuel price was increased by Rs 2, subsidised LPG price has been hiked by Rs 4.50 per 14.2-kg cylinder. Non-subsidised LPG to cost Rs 93 more.
Oil ministry had previously proposed a 30 per cent hike in price of gas produced by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and Oil India Ltd to $2.3 per mmBtu but finance ministry wants these rates to be brought on par with RIL, sources in the know of the development said.
On July 27, power ministry had written to the oil ministry saying 'the marketing margin being charged by RIL is not in line with the decisions of an empowered group of ministers on pricing formula (for KG-D6 gas)'. While Anil Ambani Group firm RNRL on Sunday alleged that RIL was charging 'unauthorised' marketing margin, 35 firms buying KG-D6 gas are paying the $0.135 per mmBtu to RIL without protest.
Cairn's contractual term for exploring and producing oil from the Rajasthan Block RJ-ON-90/2 expires in 2020 and the area is to return to the block licensee, ONGC.
Delhi Police on Thursday arrested 2 more persons in connection with the corporate espionage case.
The oil ministry is believed to have turned down Reliance Petroleum Ltd's request to export LPG from its newly commissioned refinery at Jamnagar in Gujarat, forcing the only-for-exports unit to sell the cooking fuel locally.
Reliance Industries has written to the government that it has no objection to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India auditing its gas field costs and said it is operating the field in compliance with rules.
Faced with the prospect of revenue loss on fuel jumping to Rs 700 billion (Rs 70,000 crore) next fiscal, Petroleum Ministry on Wednesday called for "harsh decisions" even as it hinted that cleaner Euro-IV fuel in 13 metro cities will cost more from April 1.
Given the incredibly high stakes involved, the Comptroller and Auditor General and Central Vigilance Commission should examine relevant facts and find out if capex was overstated, Anil said, pointing that budgeted expenditure of RIL for peak production of 40 mmscmd was only Rs 12,000 crore (Rs 120 billion) in 2004.
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