RIL produces gas worth $1.5 bn from D6 fields

Reliance Industries-operated D6 gas field in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin has produced more than 10 bn cubic meters of natural gas worth over $1.5 bn in the first 10 months, a senior official in the oil ministry said. RIL commenced gas production from its KG-D6 on April 2, 2009. 

Oil minister Murli Deora confirmed that the ministry has reviewed gas production from KG-D6. “It is a major achievement in country’s energy security. The (gas) production has helped industries particularly power and fertiliser sectors,” he told ET. 

As per an oil ministry’s note, about 22 million standard cubic meter per day (MMSCMD) gas from KG-D6 is supplied to power units. “This has helped in generating an additional 5,000 MW power. It not only reduced the cost of producing power but also revived four stranded power plants in Andhra Pradesh,” the official said requesting anonymity. 

“Now most of these power plants (getting KG-D6 gas) are running on a 90% plant load factor (PLF),” he added. PLF is measurement of average capacity utilisation of a power plant. Earlier, PLF of these power units was around 60%. 

Due to the KG-D6 gas, government has been able to save subsidies on urea production to the tune of about Rs 4,000 crore, he said. 

RIL is currently producing about 60 MMSCMD gas from KG-D6. “It is an achievement that the company has ramped up gas production in such a short time. It is only 20 MMSCMD less than achieving peak production level of 80 MMSCMS,” he said. At present production is taking place in 16 wells. But all 18 wells of KG-D6 are ready to commence production. 

Reliance has already signed gas sale purchase agreements (GSPAs) with 48 customers for supplying over 61 MMSCMD. Consumers are specified by an empowered group of ministers (EGoM), and they are from fertilisers, power, city gas distribution, steel, LPG, refinery and petrochemical sectors. 

In December 2009, RIL successfully tested the design capacity of its KG-D6 deepwater gas production facilities which gave a flow rate of 80 MMSCMD. RIL has been able to produce first gas from its KG-D6 block in a record time of six and a half year. Normally, deepwater production of such scale takes 9–10 years time. The KG-D6 gas field is one of the top five largest deepwater gas projects globally.

Source: Economic Times

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