KRISHNA GODAVARI BASIN

Krishna-Godavari Basin is a peri-cratonic passive margin basin in India. It is spread across more than 50,000 square kilometres in the Krishna River and Godavari River basins in Andhra Pradesh. The site is known for the D-6 block where Reliance Industries discovered the biggest natural gas reserves in India in 2002.

Discoveries

The first gas discovery in the basin was in 1983, in Rajole Well No.1, when ONGC had a small office in Rajahmundry and Narsapur. Since that discovery Reliance and others have joined the exploration effort.

• 14 trillion cubic feet of gas by Reliance Industries in KG-DWN-98/l (KG-D6) in 2006.6000 feet below the sea floor.
• 20 trillion cubic feet (5.7×10¹¹ m³)cubic feet of gas by Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation in June 2005
• Potentially 20 trillion cubic feet (5.7×10¹¹ m³) of gas in place at D-3 and D-9 blocks, as estimated in May 2011. According to Reliance Industries: "This includes identified prospects and leads and a number of postulated prospects based on the play area and field size distribution."
• A gas discovery by ONGC in June 2009, which an anonymous company official said could have an estimated 10 trillion cubic feet (2.8×10¹¹ m³).

Ecology

The basin is home to Olive Ridley turtles, a Vulnerable species 

Projects

KG-DWN-98/1 (KG-D6) - 8100sq km. The total project is expected to cost $100 billion.50 km off the coast of Kakinada.

CAG Audit

The Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) was supposed to relinquish 25% of the total area outside the discoveries in 2004 and 2005, as per the Production Sharing Contract (PSC). However, the entire block was declared as a discovery area and RIL was allowed to retain it. In 2011, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) criticized the Oil Ministry for this decision. The CAG also faulted RIL for limiting the competition in contracts, stating that RIL awarded a $1.1 billion contract to Aker on a single-bid basis.