On December 4th, 2025, Shri Tanuj Punia raised Unstarred Question No-703 in Lok Sabha regarding the theft of natural gas from ONGC's wells. He asked if a case of theft of large quantities of natural gas from ONGC's wells had been reported in the Krishna-Godavari delta region, and requested the details thereof and the details of action taken in the matter.
The Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Suresh Gopi, responded that the Government had constituted a Committee under Justice (Retd.) A.P. Shah to look into the issue of gas-migration relating to ONGC's KG-DWN-98/2 & Godavari PML blocks and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)'s KG-DWN-98/3 block in the Krishna Godavari Basin. The Committee's Report concluded that RIL had produced migrated gas and hence unjustly enriched itself. The Government accordingly sought restitution and recovery of the proceeds related to produced and sold migrated gas.
RIL invoked arbitration against this demand, and the Arbitral Tribunal decided against the Government. The Government's challenge against the said award before a Single Judge of the Delhi High Court was dismissed. However, the Government's appeal was allowed by the Division Bench setting aside both the Single Judge's order and the Arbitral Award. The Contractors have since filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court, which is pending.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas: The ministry responsible for addressing the question on natural gas theft.
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL): Company implicated in the theft of natural gas.
Krishna-Godavari Basin: Location where the theft of natural gas occurred.
Supreme Court: Where a Special Leave Petition (SLP) related to the dispute is pending.
Delhi High Court: Court where the Government's challenge against the Arbitral Award was initially dismissed, then later allowed on appeal.
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-703
TO BE ANSWERED ON 04th December, 2025
THEFT OF NATURAL GAS FROM ONGC’s WELLS
†703. Shri Tanuj Punia:
पे(cid:282)ो(cid:871)लयम और (cid:292)ाकृ(cid:467)तक गैस मं(cid:287)ी
Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:
(a) whether a case of theft of large quantities of natural gas from ONGC's wells has been
reported in the Krishna-Godavari delta region and if so, the details thereof; and
(b) the details of action taken thereon so far in the matter?
ANSWER
पे(cid:282)ो(cid:871)लयम और (cid:292)ाकृ(cid:467)तक गैस मं(cid:287)ालय म(cid:581) रा(cid:207)यमं(cid:287)ी
((cid:302)ी सुरेश गोपी)
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
(SHRI SURESH GOPI)
(a) & (b): Government had constituted a Committee under Justice (Retd.) A.P. Shah to look into
the issue of gas-migration relating to ONGC’s KG-DWN-98/2 & Godavari PML blocks and
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)’s KG-DWN-98/3 block in the Krishna Godavari Basin. The
Committee’s Report concluded that RIL had produced migrated gas and hence unjustly enriched
itself. The Government accordingly sought restitution and recovery of the proceeds related to
produced and sold migrated gas.
RIL invoked arbitration against this demand, and the Arbitral Tribunal decided against the
Government. The Government’s challenge against the said award before a Single Judge of the
Delhi High Court was dismissed. However, the Government’s appeal was allowed by the
Division Bench setting aside both the Single Judge’s order and the Arbitral Award. The
Contractors have since filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court, which is
pending.
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