Ukrgazvydobuvannya, a member of the Naftogaz Group, set a new drilling record in January-March 2025, reaching 107,136 meters, which is almost twice as much than in the same period of 2024 and exceeds the previous quarterly maximum recorded in the third quarter of 2024 (102,866 meters).
“Increasing domestic gas production is strategically important for Ukraine. Ukrgazvydobuvannya’s record figures, achieved despite hostile shelling, confirm the professionalism of the team and make a significant contribution to strengthening our country’s energy security,” said Naftogaz CEO Roman Chumak, whose words are quoted in a statement on the Group’s website on Wednesday.
According to him, March was the most productive month, with 41,229 meters drilled, which is 6,929 meters more than the planned target (34,300 meters).
“Thus, the monthly record set in April 2024 of 40,059 meters was also broken,” Naftogaz said.
Which market leaders increased their wealth in the first year of the full-scale invasion?
The revenues of the top 10 mining companies decreased by 14% in the first year of the full-scale war, according to the Opendatabot Index. In total, the market leaders earned UAH 295.15 billion over the year. These are companies engaged in the extraction of iron ore, natural gas, and coal. Six out of ten companies are owned by Rinat Akhmetov, and the leader in the sector is the state-owned Ukrgazvydobuvannya.
The leading companies in the extractive industry earned UAH 295.15 billion. This is 14% less than in 2021, when these businesses earned UAH 343.24 billion. Almost half of the total income of the leaders is accounted for by 3 natural gas companies.
The state-owned company Ukrgazvydobuvannya was the top performer, with revenue of UAH 86.38 billion. This is 29% of the total revenue of the top 10. At the same time, the company’s earnings fell by 4% compared to 2021.
It is worth noting that 6 of the top 10 companies belong to Rinat Akhmetov’s SCM Group. These companies accounted for 54% of the total revenue of the top 10 companies – UAH 159.57 billion.
Three of Akhmetov’s companies in the ranking increased their revenues and moved up in the ranking. These are:
– DTEK Pavlohradvuhillya increased its revenues by 1.8 times, taking the second position or UAH 44.2 billion,
– Pokrovskoye Mine Administration (UAH 38.47 billion) earned 1.8 times more, moving up to the 3rd place in the ranking,
– Naftogazvydobuvannya’s revenues increased by 2.3 times to UAH 35.99 billion. This is the __ position in the ranking
On the contrary, the revenue of 3 other SCM Group companies engaged in iron ore mining has significantly decreased compared to 2021:
– by almost 4 times at Northern GOK, to UAH 13.8 billion
– by more than 3 times, to UAH 12.7 billion, at Inguletsky GOK,
– by one third – at Central GOK (UAH 14.3 billion).
Ukrnaftoburinnya, previously owned by Ihor Kolomoisky, Vitaliy Khomutynnik and Pavlo Fuks, which was transferred to the ARMA by a court decision, was included in the ranking in 2022. This is despite the fact that in 2022 it received 25% less revenue compared to 2021 – UAH 9.7 billion.
The last 2 companies in the top are engaged in the extraction of iron ore and belong to the FERREXPO group (Kostiantyn Zhevago), which reduced their revenues last year. These are Poltava Mining, whose earnings decreased by 2 times, and Yeristovo Mining, whose revenue fell by 16%. Together, these two companies earned UAH 39.48 billion.
The Opendatabot index is an analytical tool for assessing the real situation and geography of Ukrainian business based on data from state registers, Opendatabot registers, financial statements of companies, information on ties with Russia, sanctions lists and other analytical tools of Opendatabot.
https://opendatabot.ua/analytics/index-mining_industry-2023
Opendatabot Index, Pavlohradvuhillya, Pokrovskoye Mine Administration, RINAT AKHMETOV, SCM GROUP, UKRGAZVYDOBUVANNYA
Ukrhazvydobuvannya (UGV) in June launched three more wells in the east of the country with the total production of 425 thousand cubic meters of gas per day.
“Ukrhazvydobuvannya, which is part of Naftogaz group, launched three high-efficiency wells with a total production rate of 425,000 cubic meters of gas per day. Two of them are new, the third got a new life after overhaul,” announced the company on Wednesday.
As Naftogaz head Alexei Chernyshov noted, the two new wells were drilled by UGV at the old field.
“This is a very good result, which was made possible by the development analysis and the use of the constructed 3D model. Such modern approaches made it possible to launch a total of 10 new wells in the field, the daily production of which exceeded 3 million cubic meters,” explained Chernyshov, quoted on Naftogaz’s website.
As the company informed, one more well, on which the overhaul was carried out, has been working at the field for almost 30 years. Prior to the repair work, gas production from it was insignificant, but after its transfer to the higher horizon, the well increased production tenfold.
“In the first half of 2023 our company has already put into operation 11 high-efficiency wells with an output of over 100 thousand cubic meters a day each. Four of them produce more than 300 thousand cubic meters per day. These are indicators which gradually draw us closer to our goals – increase of gas production”, Acting Director General of Ukrgazvydobuvannya Oleg Tolmachov said.
As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Ukrhazvydobuvannya has set a goal to increase its own production of natural gas by 1 billion cubic meters in 2023, up to 13.5 billion cubic meters. In 2022, the company produced 12.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas (commercial), which is 3% less than in 2021.
Naftohaz Ukrayiny owns 100% of Ukrhazvydobuvannya shares.
Ukrgasvydobuvannya launched two wells with daily flow rates of 300-400 thousand cubic meters in March 2023, NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine board chairman Oleksiy Chernyshov said.
“We not only ensure operation of our facilities but also work on drilling of new wells. Only in March we launched two new powerful wells producing 300-400 thousand cubic meters per day. Thanks to application of modern approaches to the development of hydrocarbon fields, we have managed to achieve significant results at these wells,” the press service of the National joint-stock company quotes him as saying.
As reported, in mid-March Ukrhazvydobuvannya announced the launch of a new appraisal and production well to a depth of 5950 meters, which yields 340 thousand cubic meters per day.
While designing the well using 3D model of the field, specialists were able to identify a prospective area of the productive layer of the field, which so far has not been developed.
Earlier, the head of Naftogaz Chernyshov said that the company aims to increase its own production of natural gas by 1 billion cubic meters in 2023, up to 13.5 billion cubic meters, which corresponds to a daily production of 37 million cubic meters.
“Ukrhazvydobuvannya”, 100% owned by Naftogaz of Ukraine, produced 12.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas (commercial) in 2022, 3% less than in 2021.
On February 6, Ukrhazvydobuvannya announced a tender for the purchase of compulsory civil liability insurance (CMTPL) for owners of land vehicles.
According to the message in the system of electronic public procurement Prozorro, the expected cost -70,388 thousand UAH.
Documents will be accepted until 14 February.
The Cabinet of Ministers at a meeting on Friday appointed Oleg Tolmachov as acting director general of Ukrhazvydobuvannya instead of Alexander Romaniuk and Roman Malyutin as acting director general of Ukrtranshaz instead of Serhiy Pereloma.
This was reported by the Naftogaz group on Friday evening.
“Roman Malyutin and Oleg Tolmachev are high-class specialists with considerable experience in the oil and gas sector. They are well acquainted with global experience, but have also worked hard in Ukraine and understand the challenges we are currently facing,” said Naftogaz Group head Alexey Chernyshov.
Oleg Tolmachev, who headed Naftogaz Group’s Naftogaz Upstream division, became Ukrhazvydobuvannya’s acting director.
Oleg Tolmachev has more than 20 years of experience in hydrocarbon production in North America. He has held senior positions in gas production companies in the US such as BP America, Chesapeake Energy, EnCana Oil & Gas USA, Eclipse Resources and Montage Resources. In particular, he led high-tech projects to develop large gas and gas condensate fields in North America. Among his responsibilities were increasing the economic efficiency of projects, formation and management of multifunctional teams (geology, development, drilling, production, preparation and processing of hydrocarbons).
Roman Malyutin, who has over 20 years of experience at gas transmission and storage companies, was appointed Acting Head of Ukrtransgas JSC, the operator of all Ukrainian underground gas storages.
Roman Malyutin went all the way from an operator and engineer at Kegichevsk UGS to Deputy Chief Engineer of the eastern region of the Ukrainian Gas Transmission System Operator. For the last year and a half he headed the technical department of Ukrtransgas JSC, where he was responsible for the operation of compressor stations, areas of energy and metrology, and also accompanied projects to develop low-carbon technologies and storage of hydrogen mixtures.