Business
Supreme Court Continues Hearing in Reliance Gas Migration Case
The Supreme Court of India has declined a request by Reliance Industries Ltd to temporarily halt proceedings in the Krishna-Godavari basin gas migration dispute. The case involves appeals filed by Reliance and its foreign partners challenging a Delhi High Court verdict that overturned an arbitral award granted in their favour in a long-running dispute with the Central Government.
The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday refused to accept a request made by Reliance Industries Ltd to keep the hearing in the Krishna-Godavari basin gas migration dispute in abeyance for the time being.
The matter is being heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi. The bench is currently examining appeals filed by Reliance Industries Ltd, BP Exploration (Alpha) Ltd and Niko (NECO) Ltd against a Delhi High Court judgment linked to the gas migration dispute with the Centre.
The companies had sought mediation or conciliation with the Central Government in an attempt to reach an amicable settlement and requested the apex court to defer the proceedings temporarily. However, the Supreme Court declined the submission and continued with the hearing.
The dispute relates to allegations that the companies extracted or siphoned gas from deposits in the Krishna-Godavari basin that they were allegedly not authorised to exploit. The firms are challenging a February 14, 2025 judgment of the Delhi High Court, which had overturned an earlier decision by a single-judge bench that upheld the arbitral award in favour of Reliance Industries and its partners.
The case has remained one of the significant legal disputes in India’s energy sector, involving issues related to natural resource allocation, contractual obligations, and arbitration in petroleum exploration agreements.
