Supreme Court Appoints Former Judge to Help Settle ONGC-Reliance Gas Dispute

Times of Navi Mumbai | India News

The Supreme Court has appointed former judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai to help settle a long-running dispute between the government, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL).

The dispute is about natural gas found under the sea near the Andhra Pradesh coast. ONGC claims that some of the gas from its oil and gas fields moved into a nearby area operated by Reliance and its partners. It alleges that the company extracted and sold this gas between 2009 and 2013.

Why Has the Court Appointed a Mediator?

The government and Reliance had earlier tried to reach an agreement, but their talks did not succeed.

The Supreme Court has now asked Justice Desai to act as a mediator. This means she will help both sides discuss the matter and try to find a solution without a long court battle.

She will also get help from two experts, one suggested by each side. The experts will help explain the technical details of the gas dispute.

What Is the Dispute About?

ONGC says gas from its underground fields moved into a nearby gas field called KG-D6, which was operated by a Reliance-led group.

The government claims that the group earned money from this gas and should return nearly $1.5 billion, along with around $174 million in interest.

However, Reliance and its partners have denied doing anything wrong. They say gas can naturally move from one underground area to another because of pressure differences.

How Did the Case Reach the Supreme Court?

The dispute started in 2013 when ONGC raised concerns about the gas extraction.

In 2018, an arbitration panel ruled in favour of the Reliance-led group. A Delhi High Court judge supported that decision in 2024. But in February 2025, a larger bench of the Delhi High Court overturned it.

Reliance then approached the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court has now chosen mediation to see if both sides can reach an agreement. The final outcome of the dispute is still pending.

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