JKX Oil & Gas with assets in Ukraine and Russia in 2020 reduced average daily production of hydrocarbons by 5% compared to 2019, to 10,238 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), the company said on the website of the London Stock Exchange.
Production in Ukraine decreased by 13%, to 4,849 boepd, in particular gas production fell by 15%, to 653,000 cubic meters per day (Mcmd), while oil and condensate by 5%, to 1,007 boepd.
Production of hydrocarbons in Russia increased by 4% and amounted to 5,389 boepd, in particular gas production to 905,000 cubic meters per day, condensate to 61 boepd.
JKX points out that in the fourth quarter of last year, compared to the previous quarter, production decreased by 4%, to 9,825 boepd due to a drop in production in Ukraine by 8%, to 4,351 boepd. In particular, gas production in Ukraine fell by 7%, to 592,000 cubic meters per day, oil and condensate by 10%, to 965 boepd.
JKX notes that the reduction in production is associated with a significant reduction in drilling and workover, but indicates that two new wells were drilled in Ukraine in the fourth quarter – IG146 on Ihnativske field with a current flow rate of 6 million cubic meters per day and 35 boepd and the side part of NN75 on Novo-Mykolaivske field with a current flow rate of 80 boepd.
The Center for Conservation of Archaeological Objects has officially appeared in Kyiv, the priority areas of which will be research and development of scientific documentation of archeological monuments in Kyiv, First Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration Valentyn Mondrievsky said.
“The primary task of the institution will be to process historical values that were found during archeological excavations at the Poshtova Square. The work will be carried out in close cooperation with the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and its Kyiv expedition,” the press service of Kyiv City Council quotes Mondrievsky.
The Center will also conduct activities for the conservation of archaeological objects, experimental research, develop and implement in practice of conservation and restoration of archaeological objects, monuments of urban planning, architecture and monumental art, their survey and research.
“There are no similar institutions and opportunities in Ukraine for qualified conservation and museification of archaeological finds. This is especially true for wooden artifacts. The Center’s specialists will use mostly foreign experience. Our main task is to preserve all artifacts found during archaeological research,” director of the Department of Cultural Heritage Protection Oleksandr Nykoriak said.
Ukraine exported in the current 2020/2021 marketing year (MY) and as of January 15 some 27.2 million tonnes of grain and legumes, while in the previous MY and as of January 20, some 33.9 million tonnes were supplied to foreign markets, the Economy Ministry said at its website with a link to the data of the State Customs Service.
“In the current 2020/2021 MY, some 12.6 million tonnes of wheat have already been exported. It fully meets the planned dynamics that we have agreed on with the specialized associations by signing the corresponding annex to the Memorandum of Understanding on the Grain Market,” Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine Ihor Petrashko said.
The Economy Ministry said that out of 27.2 million tonnes of grains and legumes, in addition to wheat, 3.9 million tonnes of barley, 1,700 tonnes of rye and 10.3 million tonnes of corn were also supplied to foreign markets. In addition, 81,500 tonnes of flour in terms of grain were exported.
As reported, in the 2019/2020 marketing year and as of January 20, 2020, Ukraine exported 15.5 million tonnes of wheat, 3.8 million tonnes of barley and 14.2 million tonnes of corn, as well as 207,000 tonnes of flour in terms of grain.
Ukrainian banks in 2020 reduced the number of structural divisions by 10.8%, or by 868 branches, to 7,134.
According to the data posted on the website of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), by the end of 2020 Oschadbank closed the operation of 490 branches (having reduced their number to 1,837), PrivatBank – 211 (to 1,717), Raiffeisen Bank Aval – 100 (to 396), Alfa-Bank – 39 (to 218), TAScombank and Sberbank – 16 each (to 87 and 90 respectively), UkrSibbank – 12 (to 272), Credit Dnipro Bank and PIB – eight (to 28 and 26, respectively) and Ukrbudinvestbank – seven (to 48).
It is indicated that in October-December 2020, banks closed 195 structural divisions, in particular Oschadbank – 94, Raiffeisen Bank Aval – 60, PrivatBank – 33.
At the same time, banks opened 79 branches in 2020, in particular state-owned Ukrgasbank – 26 divisions, expanding its regional network to 276 branches, Accordbank – eight (to 79), Bank Sich – six (to 60), FUIB – 16 (to 224), A-Bank – seven (to 232), and Bank Alliance – five (to 25).
According to the National Bank, as of January 1, 2021, Oschadbank remains the leader in the number of branches (1,837), PrivatBank ranks second (1,717), Raiffeisen Bank Aval is third (396), Ukrgasbank is fourth (276), and UkrSibbank ranks fifth (272).
The state-owned enterprise Artyomsol in 2020 reduced salt production by 41%, to 1.18 million tonnes, which is associated with weather conditions, quarantine and increased competition in world markets, the company said in a press release on Tuesday.
According to it, Artyomsol produced 762,200 tonnes of ground salt used for sprinkling roads without packaging, which is half as much as in 2019, and this is associated with a warm winter in Ukraine and far abroad. According to the state-owned enterprise, the production of packaged salt increased by 3.6%, to 186,400 tonnes, whiles the production of iodized salt decreased by 6.6%, to 53,200 tonnes.
Salt packed in bags (10 kg, 20 kg and 50 kg) was produced in 2020 by 27.6% less only 147,600 tonnes, production of salt packed in flexible intermediate bulk containers reduced by one third, to 51,000 tonnes.
The output of salt briquettes over the year, according to a press release, decreased by 6.7% , to 11,200 tonnes, while salt blocks increased by 17%, to 3,400 tonnes.
The state-owned enterprise indicated that in 2020 the enterprise shipped its products to 15 countries of the world. The main importers of its products are Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Belarus. More than 70% of the products were sent to the Ukrainian market.
According to the enterprise, at the end of 2020, there was a tendency to increase production volumes of the entire range.
“We have started a program of ‘rehabilitation’ of the enterprise, which includes a set of rapid measures to improve production efficiency and social support for workers. In 2021, we plan to increase investments in renovation and modernization of production to UAH 250 million, while in 2020 the volume of capital investments amounted to UAH 66 million,” Acting Director of Artyomsol Victoria Lutsenko said.
Artyomsol is one of the largest enterprises for the extraction and sale of sodium chloride (NaCl) in Central and Eastern Europe. The production facilities of Artyomsol are located in Soledar, Donetsk region.
International hotel operator Accor (France) plans to open a second Ibis hotel in Lviv in 2021.
The Ibis Lviv hotel will be located in the city center, according to the company’s press release published by PRNewswire.
Earlier in April 2019, the Lviv City Council agreed on urban planning conditions and restrictions for the design, construction and reconstruction of a building located at 23A, Ivana Franko Street.
According to Zaxid.net with reference to Chief Architect of Lviv Yulian Chaplynsky, on the site of the former Charivnytsia beauty salon at 23A, Ivana Franka Street, it is planned to open a hotel of the Ibis chain of AccorHotels. The facility will become the fourth in the Ibis chain in Ukraine and the second hotel of the AccorHotels operator in Lviv.
According to the newspaper, the height of the building will not be raised, and office premises will be arranged on the technical fifth floor.
As reported, Accor has also signed a management agreement for the Swissotel Living hotel located at 13, Liuteranska Street in the Pechersky District of Kyiv, which is scheduled to open in 2021-2022.
The Accor Group, one of the world’s leading hotel operators, opened the first Novotel-branded hotel in Lille, France in 1967.
In Ukraine, AccorHotels operates three-star Ibis hotels in Kyiv, Ibis Styles and Gruner in Lviv, five-star Fairmont Grand Hotel in Kyiv, and Mercure Kyiv Congress Hotel. In addition, one hotel managed by Accor is located in Odesa – MGallery Hôtel de Paris.