ONGC, RIL to appoint joint expert to resolve gas dispute.

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Reliance Industries will appointed a common international expert to resolve the dispute over their Krishna Godavari basin gas fields being inter-connected.

ONGC says at least three wells drilled by RIL on the boundary of KG-D6 block in Bay of Bengal are within 'few hundred meters' of its gas fields. It fears the fields are connected and RIL may be drawing out its gas.

RIL disputes the ONGC theory and the two firms have shared data to collaborate on their claims.

Sources said the two firms have now decided to appoint a reputed global consultant to study data on both sides.

ONGC and RIL will in next few days share names of their preferred consultants and arrive at a common name thereafter.

Also, the scope of work for the third party opinion would be finalised jointly by the two sparring companies, they said.

Previously, the Directorate General of Hydrocarbon (DGH) had asked RIL to share data on the gas reservoir on its side of the block as well as production flows with ONGC.


ET