RIL notifies fourth gas strike in D3 block of KG Basin

Reliance Industries has made a fourth gas discovery in a block close to its prolific D6 area in the Krishna-Godavari Basin in the Bay of Bengal.

The well, KGV-D3-W1, drilled in deepsea block KG-DWN- 2003/1, also known as D3, struck natural gas at 3,501 metres below the sea bed, UK's Hardy Oil and Gas Plc -- RIL's minority partner in the block -- said in a press statement.

It, however, did not give an estimate on the reserves the find may hold. This is the fourth successive gas discovery in the block, which lies in the same basin as RIL's KG-D6 finds.

A gross gas pay zone of 37.5 metres was encountered," Hardy said. Hardy holds a 10 per cent interest in exploration block KG-DWN-2003/1, which was awarded to a RIL-Hardy consortium in the fifth round of bidding under the New Exploration Licensing Policy.

RIL is the operator of the block with 90 per cent interest.

RIL's KG-DWN-98/3, or KG-D6 block, was awarded in NELP-I in 2000. "The well, KGV-D3-W1, the fourth exploration well in this (KG-DWN-2003/1) block, was drilled to a total measured depth of 3,501 metres in a water depth of 1,653 metres. A gross gas pay zone of 37.5 metres was encountered in Pliocene aged sands," Hardy said.

The discovery has been named Dhirubhai-52 and has been notified to the government of India and Directorate General of Hydrocarbons. "The potential commerciality of the discovery is being ascertained through more data gathering and analysis," it said.
The D3 license is located in the Krishna-Godavari Basin on the East Coast of India and covers an area of approximately 3,288 square kilometres.

Commenting on the well results, Hardy Chief Executive Officer Yogeshwar Sharma said: "Four successive discoveries highlight the significant prospectivity of this extensive exploration block. The Krishna-Godavari Basin is an emerging world class basin for India. Further exploration drilling is planned in this area and we look forward to continuing to participate in unlocking of the basin's exceptional energy potential."