| User industries such as power and fertiliser plants, which consume around 70 per cent of the total gas available in the country, steel plants and city gas distribution companies, which supply gas to households and for transport, are eagerly awaiting the court order as it will decide whether any of the gas would be available for them to buy. |
| India is currently a gas deficit market, with gas supply just about half of the demand of 170 mcmd. RIL's peak production rate of 80 mcmd has the potential to wipe out the deficit, though, factoring in the demand growth, this may not actually happen. |
| The high court, in its order on June 20, had prevented RIL from creating any third party interest in its gas from the D6 block in the Krishna-Godavari basin as the peak production of 80 mcmd of gas is locked up with NTPC, RNRL and for RIL's captive use. |
| The court had said NTPC would get first right to 12 million cubic metres per day (mcmd) gas from the block, while RNRL would get the next right to 28 mcmd of gas. The court had also marked 25 mcmd of gas for RIL's captive use. RNRL has the right to an additional 16 mcmd of the gas, thus locking up the entire 80 mcmd. |
| During the last hearing in June, RIL had argued before the high court that it be allowed to sell gas to companies other than NTPC and RNRL as RNRL's power project at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh, for which the gas is earmarked, is far from being ready to utilise the gas. |
| The construction of the power plant will take at least three years from now, say industry officials. |
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