NEW DELHI: Reliance Industries has reported that natural gas production from its eastern offshore KG-D6 fields has dropped to about 32.66 million standard cubic meters per day. Gas output from KG-D6 in the week ended May 6 dropped to 32.66 mmscmd from 33.89 mmscmd in April, according to a status report filed by the company with the Oil Ministry.

KG-D6, where water and sand ingress coupled with drop in pressure has led a drastic fall in per-well output, had produced 34.62 mmscmd in the beginning of March.

Having failed to get a response from the ministry of petroleum and natural gas for nearly five months, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on Wednesday filed a plea in the Supreme Court to seek the appointment of an arbitrator in its dispute over the D6 block in the Krishna-Godavari basin.

According to a spokesperson, the company has sought an order appointing an arbitrator under section 11(6) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act and article 33.5 of the production-sharing contract. “We had served a notice on the government in November 2011. We have approached the Supreme Court since we did not get any response,” he said.

Seeks appointment of arbitrator on behalf of oilmin to settle dispute
OUR BUREAU NEW DELHI

New Delhi: CPM member Prasanta Chatterjee asked Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai on Tuesday whether the auditor could quantify the loss to the government on account of conditions of the production contract for KG gas not being adhered to.

While an agency report said Congress member Saifuddin Soz also supported the demand that was raised at Tuesday’s meeting of the Public Accounts Committee, well placed sources denied the MP made any reference to the matter.