Reliance Industries (RIL) has said it suspects ONGC chairman DK Sarraf is being misled by insiders to hide their failure in developing fields discovered over 13 years ago, and strongly contested Sarraf 's statement that the state-run explorer had to sue RIL for alleged "theft" of gas from its blocks adjoining the KD-D6 gas field.

RIL said if ONGC suspected the neighbouring blocks had a common reservoir, the state-run firm should have acted long ago. "In fact, in 2007, ONGC had also acquired high resolution 3-D seismic data extending into KG-D6 block. Thus, ONGC was having data across both sides of the block boundaries. Had connectivity been an open and shut case, ONGC need not have waited so long to approach the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) or RIL," RIL said in a statement.

RIL said it was "saddened" by the statement attributed to Sarraf by media reports on this issue. Sarraf had told reporters on Tuesday that ONGC's surprise move to sue RIL for alleged "theft" of natural gas from its blocks was to protect its "commercial interest". Last week, ONGC moved the Delhi High Court alleging that RIL might have drawn gas worth thousands of crores of rupees from a common reservoir in the KG-D6 block and had also accused the oil ministry and its technical arm of turning a blind eyeto the issue.

"We continue to see ONGC as a valued industry peer, worthy of collaboration, to whom we will continue to provide assistance to help develop its discoveries and start production of valuable gas locked beneath the Indian Ocean to the benefit of the people of India," the statement said. RIL and ONGC had signed an MoU in July 2013 to share infrastructure in the basin, which would have significantly reduced costs for the state-run firm.

RIL expressed surprise in note to editors that the two companies were engaged in infrastructure sharing proposal since mid-2012, but ONGC did not raise the issue of connectivity of reservoirs. RIL said ONGC brought the issue of possible common reservoir to its notice only in August 2013, through the DGH. "Since then, as per international practice, ONGC and RIL have been engaged in the process of appointing an independent agency to investigate the issue of possible reservoir connectivity across the blocks, the statement said.

Shares of the company gained Rs 26.55, or 2.41%, to settle at Rs 1,127.85. The total volume of shares traded was 370,212 at the BSE (Friday).