RIL and BP are developing three deepwater gas projects in block KG D6 – R-cluster, Satellites cluster and MJ – which together are expected to meet around 15% of India’s gas demand by 2023.
“This is a significant milestone in India’s energy landscape, for a cleaner and greener gas-based economy. Through our deep-water infrastructure in the Krishna Godavari basin we expect to produce gas and meet the growing clean energy requirements of the nation,” Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of RIL, was quoted as saying in a statement.
The commissioning of the R-Cluster is the first of three deepwater projects. It is expected to reach plateau gas production of about 12.9 million standard cubic meters per day in 2021.
“Growing India’s own production of cleaner-burning gas to meet a significant portion of its energy demand, these three new KG D6 projects will support the country’s drive to shape and improve its future energy mix,” BP Chief Executive Bernard Looney said.
These projects will use the existing hub infrastructure in KG D6 block. RIL is the operator of KG D6 with a 66.67% participating interest and BP holds a 33.33% participating interest.
Reliance and BP Plc had committed an investment of Rs 40,000 crore in June 2017 into the three sets of discoveries which were aimed to reverse the fall in production in KG-D6 block. The R-cluster was earlier scheduled to start operations by June, but due to the Covid19 pandemic, the date got deferred to the second half of 2020-21.
R-cluster is located about 60 kilometers from the existing KG D6 control and riser platform (CRP) off the Kakinada coast and comprises a subsea production system tied back to CRP through a subsea pipeline. Located at a water depth of greater than 2000 meters, it is the deepest offshore gas field in Asia.
