“Ukrburgaz (a division of Ukrgasvydobuvannya) has set records in daily, monthly and annual penetration this year, said Oleh Tolmachov, UGV CEO.
“Next year, UGV plans to maintain the trend of increasing gas production and increase drilling penetration. Already this year, we see that our major projects, such as large-scale 3D seismic, are yielding results – a powerful well in western Ukraine. And next year, we expect even more data and will plan new drilling wells,” the company’s press service quoted him as saying on Facebook.
An important component of the company’s success in overcoming the production decline trend is the revision of the drilling site preparation cycle, which has reduced the time spent working with wells.
UGV is also working to shorten the well construction cycle, reduce capital expenditures and improve safety.
As reported, in February this year, UGV CEO Oleh Tolmachov said that the company plans to increase drilling by 1.5 times compared to last year – up to 300 thousand meters in 2023.
In 2023, Ukrgasvydobuvannya is tasked with increasing natural gas production by 1 bcm to 13.5 bcm. In 2022, the company produced 12.5 bcm of natural gas (commercial), which is 3% less than in 2021.
NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine owns 100% of Ukrgasvydobuvannya shares.
Metinvest Mining and Metallurgical Group is considering increasing the production of mine trawls for tanks to clear territories as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative.
“The Ukrainian Armed Forces need 100 trawls per month,” said Metinvest Group Chief Operating Officer Alexander Mironenko in an interview with the corporate website.
According to him, the group’s specialists have been in close contact with the military since the beginning of the war and are constantly trying to respond to their needs. “When preparations for the counteroffensive began, we realized the extent of the enemy’s mining of our territory. These are many kilometers of fields mined mainly with TM-62 anti-tank mines. To cross them, other means are needed directly on the equipment.
One of these models, the most common in the Soviet Union, which is most suitable for Soviet-style T-64 and T-72 tanks used by the Ukrainian army, is an analog of the KMT-7 mine trawl. Its production was discontinued, and for some time this trawl was not produced.
“When the offensive began, the military asked us to look at the trophy samples taken from the downed Russian tanks… We made drawings and developed test samples of these trawls. Then we started testing them together with the military to make sure that the design was reliable and would withstand the number of explosions required by the regulations,” explains the top manager.
According to him, the trawls are now being used in many areas. We have delivered 8 units to the military, two more are waiting to be picked up by the military, and five are in the production process.
The trawls are used mainly in Zaporizhzhya and Donetsk. Metinvest maintains the trawls: if they are damaged, we take them away, repair them and install new rollers.
“Together with several teams, we are also considering the possibility of repairing old Soviet models, as they also fail and get damaged. There is a shortage of mine-resistant rollers that are blown up. We have set up mass production, because this is, so to speak, a consumable. Together with the trawl, we are transferring several more sets of these rollers so that they can be repaired very quickly in the field and continue to be used,” the top manager said.
According to him, without expanding production, five trawls are manufactured per month. There are opportunities to increase capacity, but there are not enough people. There are not enough specialists who can help increase production volumes, for example, to 10, 15, 20 mine trawls.
“We are now working with the Ministry of Defense to create favorable conditions and be able to recruit more staff and increase production. In general, the need mentioned by the military is more than 100 trawls per month. This is a need that needs to be met,” emphasized Mr. Myronenko.
“Metinvest is a vertically integrated group of steel and mining companies. The group’s enterprises are located mainly in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions. The main shareholders of the holding are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%), which jointly manage it.
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
Financing state budget deficit, bln UAH
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer during a meeting with members of the National Council in the main committee on EU issues categorically opposed the “accelerated procedure” of Ukraine and Moldova’s accession to the European Union, the press service of the Austrian parliament reports.
“Nehammer told FPO MPs Petra Steger, Christian Hafeneker and Axel Kassegger that Austria would not agree to negotiate Ukraine’s accession under the current conditions. There should not be any preferential treatment for Ukraine, especially in relation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is also currently in accession negotiations,” the statement said.
He also noted that the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen did not hold consultations before announcing the prospect of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession.
Separately, Nehammer noted that in order for the EU to be “suitable” for enlargement, internal reforms must be carried out.
“In general, Austria continues to follow the EU line when it comes to solidarity with Ukraine, but without violating its neutrality,” Nehammer explained. “It is primarily about financial assistance to support Ukraine as a ‘state as a whole,'” the statement said.
In January-November this year, Ukrainian companies doubled their imports of copper and copper products in value terms compared to the same period last year, to $119.939 million.
According to customs statistics released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine, exports of copper and copper products decreased by 21.8% to $65.172 million over the period.
In November, the country imported copper worth $15.907 million and exported it worth $3.802 million.
In addition, in 11 months of 2023, Ukraine reduced imports of nickel and products by 75.7% compared to the same period in 2022 to $14.366 million ($1.928 million in November), while aluminum and aluminum products increased by 7.6% to $334.511 million ($26.885 million).
At the same time, it reduced imports of lead and lead products by 67.5% to $919 thousand ($28 thousand), imports of tin and tin products by 23% to $2.419 million ($135 thousand), but increased imports of zinc and zinc products by 23.3% to $42.302 million ($4.776 million).
In January-November this year, exports of aluminum and aluminum products decreased by 1.7% compared to the same period last year to $89.183 million ($7.176 million in November), exports of lead and lead products increased by 33.1% to $14.074 million ($1.267 million), and exports of nickel and nickel products amounted to $508 thousand ($251 thousand), while in 11 months of 2022 it was $1.168 million.
Zinc was exported for $117 thousand over 11 months (in November – $19 thousand) against $1.321 million in January-November 2022. Exports of tin and tin products amounted to $79 thousand (up $22 thousand in November) against $423 thousand in 11 months of 2012.
As reported, in 2022, Ukrainian enterprises reduced imports of copper and copper products in value terms by 64.3% compared to the previous year – to $65.370 million, while their exports decreased by 56.3% to $90.245 million.
In addition, in 2022, Ukraine reduced imports of nickel and nickel products by 49.9% compared to 2021, to $59.754 million, and aluminum and aluminum products by 33.4%, to $340.398 million. At the same time, it reduced imports of lead and lead products by 66.6%, to $2.839 million.
Imports of tin and tin products fell by 33.5% to $3.312 million, and imports of zinc and zinc products decreased by 58.7% to $38.690 million.
In 2022, exports of aluminum and aluminum products decreased by 42.7% compared to 2021, to $96.972 million, lead and lead products – by 68.7%, to $11.970 million, and nickel and nickel products – by 73.9%, to $1.268 million.
Zinc exports in 2022 amounted to $1.331 million, while in 2021 they amounted to $550 thousand. Exports of tin and products in 2022 amounted to $424 thousand, compared to $346 thousand in the previous year.
Changes in consolidated budget expenditures in 2021-2023 (%)
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
