New Delhi, July 23 -- State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has taken possession of an offshore oil and gas block a day after the Delhi high court denied a 10-year extension of Vedanta Ltd's production-sharing contract, the Centre said on Thursday.

Attorney general R. Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, informed the court of this development during an urgent mention before a division bench led by Delhi high court chief justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya.

"There is no urgency in the matter. We have already taken possession. There is an affidavit on record," additional solicitor general Chetan Sharma, appearing for the Centre along with Venkataramani, told the division bench.

Mining company Vedanta had moved the Delhi high ...