Sensex ends lower; ONGC, Reliance fall

MUMBAI (Reuters) - The BSE Sensex ended lower on Thursday as oil explorers such as Reliance Industries and Oil and Natural Gas Corp. fell sharply after the government deferred a decision to hike prices of locally produced gas, while the expiry of monthly derivatives contracts also weighed on sentiment.

The benchmark BSE Sensex provisionally closed 0.99 percent lower at 25,062.67 points, while the broader Niftyended down 1 percent at 7,493.20 points.

Shares in Reliance closed down 3.16 percent while ONGC ended 5.28 percent lower.

(Reporting by Indulal PM; Editing by Sunil Nair)