India’s Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has boosted its east coast ambitions with a significant gas and condensate discovery in the deepwater KG D6 block.

The KGD6-MJ1 well was drilled in a water depth of 1,024 m (3,360 ft) to a total depth of 4,509 m (14,794 ft) to explore the prospectivity of a Mesozoic Synrift Clastic reservoir lying more than 2,000 m (6,562 ft) below the already producing reservoirs in the D1-D3 gas fields.

Formation evaluation has indicated a gross gas and condensate column in the well of about 155 m (509 ft) in the Mesozoic reservoirs. In the drill stem test, the well flowed 30.6 MMcf/d of gas and liquid at a rate of 2,121 b/d via a 36/64- inch choke with a flowing bottom hole pressure of 8,461 psia, suggesting good flow potential.

The discovery, D-55, has been notified to the Indian Government and the Management Committee of the block. It is expected to add to the hydrocarbon resources in the KG D6 block. Further appraisal work will now get underway to better define the scale and quality of the field.

PMS Prasad, executive director at RIL, said: “We shall embark on the appraisal program in the next few months in order to evaluate the options for developing this discovery.”