Reliance Industries has estimated a maximum liability of USD 400 million (Rs 3,000 crore) in its nine-year old dispute with the government over alleged under-utilisation of capacity at the KG-D6 field due to failure to comply with an approved investment plan.
Natural gas output from Dhirubhai-1 and 3 gas fields in the KG-D6 block in the Bay of Bengal started to lag company projections from the second year of production itself in 2010 and the field ceased to produce in February this year much ahead of its projected life.
The government blamed the phenomenon to the company not sticking to the approved development plan and disallowed over USD 3 billion costs. The company disputed this and dragged the government to arbitration.
In its mega rights issue offer document, Reliance said the central government sent notices to the firm and its partners in the KG-D6 block "disallowing cost recovery for alleged under-utilisation of capacity due to failure to comply with the approved development plan and demanded an additional share of profit petroleum."