India-based Reliance Industries, along with its partners BP and Niko Resources, has discovered gas and condensate during the drilling of the KG D6-MJ1 well on the KG D6 block, located off the country's east coast.

India-based Reliance Industries, along with its partners BP and Niko Resources, has discovered gas and condensate during the drilling of the KG D6-MJ1 well on the KG D6 block, located off the country’s east coast.

The well was drilled at a depth of 1,024m and to a total depth of 4,509m, to explore the prospects of a Mesozoic syn-rift clastic reservoir lying more than 2,000m below the already-producing reservoirs in the D1 and D3 gas fields.

Reliance named the new discovery D-55 and notified the Government of India (GoI) and the management committee of the block.
The formation evaluation indicates a gross gas and condensate column in the well of about 155m in the Mesozoic reservoirs.
During the drill stem test, the well flowed at 30.6 million standard cubic feet per day and had a liquid rate of 2,121 barrels a day, with a choke of 36/64in and a flowing bottom-hole pressure of 8461psia, indicating good flow potential.

The company said the discovery is anticipated to add to the hydrocarbon resources in the KG D6 block, and an appraisal will now begin to better define the scale and quality of the field.

The first three discoveries, Dhirubhai-1, Dhirubhai-2 and Dhirubhai-3, have estimated gas reserves of about eight trillion cubic feet.
Reliance Industries’ executive director PMS Prasad said: "This is a successful outcome of the combined exploration efforts of the joint venture partners with the active support of the GoI."

BP Exploration executive vice-president Dr Mike Daly said: "The discovery demonstrates the effective technical cooperation between the partners, allowing us to make a new and significant discovery within KG D6."

"It follows an 18-month drilling time-out and detailed geoscience work that has refocused our India exploration programme and delivered this early success," Daly added.

Reliance is the operator of the block with a 60% share, while partners BP and Niko hold 30% and 10% stakes respectively.