15 June 2009

RIL-RNRL Case Verdict:RIL shares fall after gas supply ruling;Court favours RNRL

RIL shares fall after gas supply ruling

Reliance Industries shares fall after gas supply ruling

15 Jun 2009, 1416 hrs IST, ET Bureau & Agencies

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MUMBAI: Shares in Reliance Industries fell as much as 6.1 percent after the Bonbay High Court directed it to supply gas to Reliance Natural

Resources at lower than market prices.


Reliance Industries, which has the highest weightage in the main share index, was asked to supply 28 million metric cubic metres a day for 17 years at $2.34 million per metric British thermal unit, the lawyer for Reliance Natural said after the court ruling.

Shares in Reliance Natural soared as much as 23.4 percent to 107.70 rupees.

"Reliance Industries will have to supply gas at a rate lower than the rate fixed by the government. They are going to incur a lower profit for that much amount," said D.D. Sharma, vice president at Anand Rathi Securities.

By 0616 GMT, Reliance Industries was trading 5.4 percent lower at Rs 2,228.95 after hitting Rs 2,213.55.

Reliance Industries is controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani while Reliance Natural Resources is headed by his younger brother Anil Ambani.

By the gas supply master agreement, RIL was supposed to supply natural gas from the Krishna-Godavari basin to RNRL, to be used for the Anil Ambani group's power generation plant at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh. The GSMA came into existence in January 2006, following the demerger of the Reliance group. But both the sides differed on its terms related to the quantity of gas to be supplied, price, and duration of supply.

In December 2006, RNRL moved the Bombay High Court asking it to compel RIL to honour the gas agreement. Justice Anup Mohta, who heard the case, asked the companies to settle the matter internally under the June 2005 family agreement. The judge also restrained RIL from selling gas to third parties till the final order.

Unable to agree on the price, terms and quantity of gas, both firms approached the division bench of the Bombay High Court against the order of the single bench in early 2008. The hearing of the matter continued till February 2009. Thereafter, the division bench came out with an interim order allowing RIL to sell gas to third parties. The interim verdict also mentioned that RIL’s gas agreement with others would be subject to the court’s final order.

The basic argument in the RIL-RNRL case pertains to the pricing and quantum of gas. During the course of hearing, RNRL made it clear that it wanted 28 million metric standard cubic meters per day of gas for 17 years for $2.34 per million metric British thermal unit (mmBtu), while RIL argued that it could not sell gas below the government-approved price of $4.2 per mmBtu.


RNRL wins gas supply dispute; stock up 20%

RNRL wins gas supply dispute; stock up 20%

15 Jun 2009, 1120 hrs IST, ET Bureau

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MUMBAI: Shares of Reliance Natural Resources surged 20 per cent on huge volumes Monday after the Bombay High Court pronounced the judgment in
favour of the company in the long-standing RIL-RNRL gas supply agreement dispute.


Bombay High Court has now given a month’s time to both parties to come to enter into an agreement. The court has asked Reliance Industries to sell gas to RNRL for 17 years at $2.34/MBTU.

By the gas supply master agreement, RIL was supposed to supply natural gas from the Krishna-Godavari basin to RNRL, to be used for the Anil Ambani group's power generation plant at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh. The GSMA came into existence in January 2006, following the demerger of the Reliance group. But both the sides differed on its terms related to the quantity of gas to be supplied, price, and duration of supply.

In December 2006, RNRL moved the Bombay High Court asking it to compel RIL to honour the gas agreement. Justice Anup Mohta, who heard the case, asked the companies to settle the matter internally under the June 2005 family agreement. The judge also restrained RIL from selling gas to third parties till the final order.

Unable to agree on the price, terms and quantity of gas, both firms approached the division bench of the Bombay High Court against the order of the single bench in early 2008. The hearing of the matter continued till February 2009. Thereafter, the division bench came out with an interim order allowing RIL to sell gas to third parties. The interim verdict also mentioned that RIL’s gas agreement with others would be subject to the court’s final order.

The basic argument in the RIL-RNRL case pertains to the pricing and quantum of gas. During the course of hearing, RNRL made it clear that it wanted 28 million metric standard cubic meters per day of gas for 17 years for $2.34 per million metric British thermal unit (mmBtu), while RIL argued that it could not sell gas below the government-approved price of $4.2 per mmBtu.

At 11:15 am, shares of RNRL were up 20 per cent at Rs 105 while RIL shares fell 4 per cent to Rs 2258.

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Source:EconomicTimes.com, Business Standard, Moneycontrol etc