Probe report on production from ONGC's KG-D5 block to be submitted by 24 Dec

A three-member committee looking into the reasons for delay in production from the block adjacent to RIL's KG-D6

A three-member committee looking into the reasons for delay in production from KG Basin block of state-run petroleum explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will submit its report by 24 December, petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.

"The government has set up a three-member inquiry committee for inquiring into the matter of delay in developing gas discoveries in KG-D5 (KG-DWN-98/2) block," Pradhan said in a written reply to a question in Parliament, adding the committee is likely to submit its report within two months from that date of its first meeting on 24 October. The committee comprises Director General of the Directorate General of Hydrocarbon (DGH) apart from the ministry's financial advisor and Deputy Secretary-Exploration.

The block is located adjacent to Reliance Industries' KG-DWN-98/3 or KG-D6 block in the Bay of Bengal. Both the blocks were awarded in the first round of bidding under New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP). While RIL began oil production from its block in 2008 followed by gas production in 2009, ONGC is yet to start production.

The state-owned explorer expects gas production from its block to commence in 2018 and oil production the next year. KG-D5 will produce up to 90,000 barrels per day of oil - largest from any field on the east coast - and 17 million standard cubic meters per dayof gas.