Development of two new gas fields under way in western Ukraine

Ukraine consumes about 75-76 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, most of which comes from Central Asia via Russia's pipelines. The country's own production totals only 21 bln cu m, but the government has repeatedly said it intends to reduce the country's dependence on foreign energy. The company's press service said: “Two wells in the Komarovskoye gas field and one in the Striganetskoye field have been commissioned,” adding that the three wells could pump out gas at a daily rate of 90,000 cu m. “The annual gas production from the deposits will reach 30 million,” the statement said. Gas from the deposits is expected to supply the city of Lvov and the surrounding province.

The Komarovskoye field was discovered in 2003. Gas deposits were found at a depth of 600-650 meters, totaling 60 mln cu m. The Striganetskoye gas field was discovered in 2004, and has reserves at a depth of 850-900 m, totaling 400 mln cu m. As part of the strategy to reduce dependence on foreign hydrocarbon imports, Ukraine plans to sign a production sharing agreement with US energy company Vanco International Ltd., which will produce gas at the Prikerchensky oil and gas field on the Black Sea shelf, with a total area of 13,000 square kilometers.

Ukraine's leading oil and gas company, Naftogaz Ukrainy, and US oil producer Marathon International Petroleum have signed an agreement on joint research in the northwestern part of the Dnieper-Donetsk basin, with reserves of 200 bln cu m of gas, 46 million metric tons of gas condensate and 130 million tons of oil. Ukraine has been pushing to raise its domestic gas output since a natural gas spat with Moscow in early in 2006, when Russia briefly suspended gas supplies, affecting consumers in Europe after Ukraine started siphoning off Russian gas transited through its territory.

Moscow's reliability as Europe's main energy supplier also came under question in early January when a dispute between Russia and neighboring Belarus led to a three-day interruption of oil deliveries to Poland, Germany and other European consumers. (rian.ru)