Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries (RIL) on Monday told Bombay High Court it was willing to resolve the dispute regarding gas supply agreement with NTPC but appeared to be ruling out seeking the help of "independent authorities" for settling a similar row with Anil Ambani's RNRL.

The two cases are being heard by separate benches in the High Court and both involve supply of gas by RIL from its Krishna-Godavari basin gas-fields.

In the case before a division bench of Justices J N Patel and K K Tated, RIL lawyer Harish Salve said the issues between RIL and Reliance Natural Resources Ltd (RNRL) were "legal issues" and only the High Court can solve them.

The court had asked if the two parties could go before an "independent authority" and resolve the dispute. However, in the hearing before Justice R Y Ganoo, RIL counsel Milind Sathe said the dispute with the state-run NTPC can be settled amicably.

The court fixed the date for recording of evidence but said the parties were free to attempt out-of-court settlement.

In the RIL-RNRL case, the earlier judge had given the two companies four months to work out a new Gas Supply Master Agreement (GSMA) that is the bone of contention. GSMA sets out terms on which RIL is to provide gas to RNRL for its power plants. But RNRL is seeking a lower price and certainty of tenure and quantity of supply.

In the NTPC case too, RIL is supposed to supply gas, but it claims the contract had not been finalised yet. NTPC, however, says the contract had been concluded and RIL must honour it. The two cases are interlinked: If RIL-NTPC contract fails, gas earmarked for NTPC would go to RNRL.