Reliance Industries Ltd.

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and its partner Hardy Oil and Gas plc have found more natural gas in the Krishna-Godavari basin close to the country's biggest gas field D6, off the East Coast. Hardy Oil, the India-focussed British explorer, said that it has made its fourth successive gas discovery in the exploration block KG-DWN-2003/1 (D3). The block was won in the fifth round of NELP (NELP-V). Continued success in KG would help Mukesh Ambani-led RIL increase income from gas sales.

Hardy Oil said the potential commerciality of the discovery was being ascertained through more data gathering and analysis. The company also said that the discovery has been notified to the Government of India and the Directorate-General of Hydrocarbons (DGH).

In the D3 block, which is operated by RIL, Hardy Oil holds a 10 per cent participating interest. The first discovery in the block was made in February 2008, and the contractors have submitted the commerciality report to the DGH.

The consortium will drill two more exploratory wells in the block. It has also applied for approvals for drilling two appraisal wells in addition. Hardy Oil is a partner of Reliance in another block in the KG basin-D9.