RIL deliberately delaying gas production, says CPI

 Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Gurudas Dasgupta has once again shot a letter to the prime minister claiming there was no geological uncertainty behind the fall in production in RIL’s KG-D6 basin, and that it was only a “ploy” by the petroleum minister to give undue benefit to the company.

To buttress his point, Dasgupta has attached a report by an international reservoir expert which stated that there was no geological or reservoir constraints to achieve recommended gas production.

The report, Dasgupta further said, was accepted by the Petroleum Ministry way back in 2011.

He has also asked the prime minister to ensure that RIL is not given undue benefit of new natural gas rates from 2014 until it fulfils old commitments.

“The D1-D3 field is adequate to achieve planned gas rates as per approved development plan (ADP), there is no geological constraints. The shortfall in gas production is due to non-drilling of the adequate number of wells as per ADP,” the findings of the report by P Gopalakrishnan said.

The report, a copy of which is in possession with Deccan Herald, also said that the commissioning of the wells was delayed and it only started in 2009 instead of 2008. Even the drilling of the wells was delayed.

Findings

The findings also stated, “The field has been started and produced as per the expectations for a year or so, but the operator did not drill the wells as per the field development plan by the end of the first year, thereby affecting a rate decline.”
Dasgupta has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to go through the report carefully.

The CPI leader said: “I would request you to carefully peruse the report which has clearly nailed the lie of geological uncertainty being used by RIL.”