Reliance Industries (RIL), the country’s largest private sector company, has announced its third successive gas discovery in the exploration block KG-DWN-2003/1 (KG-V-D3), of NELP-V. The deepwater block KG-DWN-2003/1 is located in the Krishna basin, about 45 kilometers off the coast in the Bay of Bengal. The block covers an area of 3288 square kilometres. RIL holds a 90 per cent participating interest (PI) and Hardy Exploration and Production India Inc holds the rest.

The well KGV-D3-R1, the third in this block was drilled at a water depth of 1982 m and to a total measured depth of 4113 m. The objective was to explore the Miocene deep water lobe and onlapping wedges play fairway. Three reservoir zones were encountered at Miocene Level having gross thickness of 4, 23 and 16 metres. The potential of these were evaluated through a wire-line based technology called Reservoir Characterization Imager (RCI).

The discovery namely “Dhirubhai - 44” has been notified to the government of India and the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons. The potential commerciality of the discovery is being ascertained through more data gathering and analysis.

The discovery supplements RIL’s understanding, of the petroleum systems within the block. 3D seismic has been acquired over the entire block area. Besides the above discoveries, several prospects have been mapped at different stratigraphic levels to fulfill the balance minimum work commitment of three wells.

RIL is likely to drill three additional exploration wells on the block before the end of 2010.

In August 2005, Reliance and HEPI were awarded D3 block under NELP-V. Reliance is the operator of the block.

Exploration drilling commenced on this block in 2008.

Source: Business Standard

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