D6 oil field: RIL officials to appear before PAC

NEW DELHI: Reliance Industries' officials, including executive director PMS Prasad, are expected to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on Friday to give oral evidence on alleged irregularities in managing India's biggest gas field, D6 in the Krishna-Godavari block, government officials said.

This is for the first time RIL officials will face the parliamentary committee, which is examining issues raised by the Comptroller & Auditor General ( CAG) in its recent report.

PAC is expected to ask questions about fast declining gas output from Reliance-operated D6 block and reasons for non-compliance with the approved development plan, officials in the oil ministry said requesting anonymity.

Reliance says output has fallen due to geological complexities that could not be anticipated.

The directorate general of hydrocarbons has said the company's output has fallen as it has not drilled the approved number of wells, while the company says output would not rise by simply drilling more wells.