Reliance Industries and bp commence production from MJ Field, significantly boosting India’s gas supply

In the KG D6 block, RIL and British Petroleum have completed three significant new deepwater developments, the last of which is the MJ field. The other two fields are the R-Cluster field, which started production in December 2020, and the Satellite Cluster field, which started production in April 2021.

Together, the three fields are expected to produce around 30 million standard cubic meters of gas a day (1 billion cubic feet a day) when MJ field reaches peak production. This is anticipated to supply 15% of India’s consumption and make up around a third of the country’s present domestic gas production.

The MJ field is a high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) gas and condensate field. It will produce from eight wells and reach a peak gas production of around 12 MMSCMD gas and 25,000 barrels of condensate per day.

A new Floating Production, Storage and Offloading FPSO vessel called the “Ruby” is part of the development. It will be used to process and isolate the condensate, gas, water and contaminants before bringing the gas onshore for sale. Before being offloaded to shuttle tankers for delivery to Indian refineries, condensate is held on the FPSO. With a participation interest of 66.67% in RIL and a participating interest of 33.33% in bp, RIL is the owner and operator of the KG D6 block.

The start of production from the MJ field is a significant milestone for the KG D6 block and for India’s energy sector. The field is expected to contribute significantly to India’s gas production and help to meet the country’s growing demand for energy.

In a statement, Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Limited, said: “We continue to be proud of our partnership with bp that combines our expertise in commissioning complex projects under some of the most challenging environments in the last few years. Alongside the other KG D6 fields, the MJ development truly supports the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Energy vision’ laid out by the Government of India.”

bp chief executive Bernard Looney added: “By safely bringing these new developments onstream, RIL and bp are making an important contribution to meeting India’s demand for secure supplies of gas. Our close strategic partnership with RIL now stretches back over 15 years and we are proud of how it continues to deepen – in gas, retail, aviation fuels and sustainable mobility solutions. Together we are helping to meet India’s growing energy needs, bringing the best of each partner to create real value.”

Updated: 30 Jun 2023, 07:16 PM IST