Reliance Industries is likely to restart crude oil production from its predominantly gas-rich KG-D6 fields next month but the company will shut the fields again by late March or early April to hook up more oil wells.
The MA field in KG-D6 had started crude oil production in September 2008 and had produced over 790,000 barrels up to December 9, when output ceased due to equipment failure.
"Production is expected to recommence in March after completion of necessary repairs and modification," a source said.
Before the shutdown, two wells were producing about 10,000 barrels of crude oil per day. A recently drilled MA5H well would be tied-up to these to raise output in March.
The source said three more wells are likely to be brought into production when the field takes the planned shutdown in March-end or early April. "Output is expected to rise to 40,000 bpd in April-June quarter."
Reliance had sold the first cargo of over 430,000 barrels of oil to Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd's Vizag refinery and the second cargo is slated to go to Chennai refinery.