RIL plans to drill first exploration well on flagging D1 and D3 gas fields

Reliance Industries (RIL) is planning to drill first exploration well in about five years on the flagging D1 and D3 gas fields as natural gas production from its Krishna Godavari (KG) - D6 block dropped to record low.

Previously, the Dhirubhai-1 and 3 (D1&D3) gas fields was unable to meet the expectation and RIL now wants to drill a probe well on the fields to study reservoir characteristic. The reservoir has witnessed steep fall in pressure and water and sand ingress in production wells, leading to drop in production.

The output from D1 & D3 gas fields had slipped from 53-54 million standard cubic meter per day achieved in March 2010 to 25.56 mscmd in June 2012. Together with 6.01 mscmd output from MA oilfield in the same block, KG-D6 produced 31.57 mscmd during the week ending June 3.

The production from KG-D6 is short of the 70.39 mmscmd-level (61.88 mmscmd from D1 and D3 and 8.5 mmscmd from the MA field) envisaged as per the field development plan approved in 2006.

Meanwhile, RIL holds 60% stake in KG-D6, UK’s BP Plc having 30% interest while, remaining 10% stake is with Niko Resources of Canada.