Naftogaz continues to actively develop new oil and gas sites authorized by the state in previous years. At one of them the company discovered a promising green field, Zhemchuzhne, in Poltava region.

The field discovery became possible thanks to exploration work in difficult geological conditions at great depths (more than 6000 m). Based on the results of exploration work, the company drilled a prospecting well, which confirmed gas deposits and yielded a commercial gas inflow – almost 100 TCM per day.

Zhemchuzhne field's explored gas reserves are 200 MCM, with prospective gas reserves and resources constituting more than 2 BCM. With five identified gas-saturated horizons within its limits, the total area of ​​the newly discovered field is 213 sq. km.

“Naftogaz's todays overarching priority is the geological exploration of new sites and discovery of new deposits on them. This is the only way we will be able to increase the resource base, and hence to stabilize gas production in Ukraine. Naftogaz is currently active on all new promising sites that are in the company's portfolio. This is confirmed by the discovery of Zhemchuzhne field, which was carried out in extremely difficult conditions. However, the company's existing sites are not enough to make a difference. There is an urgent need to address the issue of exploring the largest onshore and offshore sites within the shortest possible time, as they have significant resource potential and have not been developed so far. This situation needs to be changed. With extensive experience and expertise in developing new complex assets, Naftogaz is ready to commence operations as soon as possible,” said Oleksandr Romanyuk, Director of the Exploration and Production Division.

A 6150-meter deep well was drilled by the in-house drilling contractor (Ukrburgas) and the new Bentec drilling rig was deployed for the first time there.

The company's plans call for 3D seismic surveying in order to detail the field's geological structure and determine the optimal locations for drilling new wells.

Background. In late November, the Government authorized Naftogaz to explore sites on the Ukrainian part of the Black Sea shelf. As early as in 2021, Naftogaz plans to commence offshore exploration work given successful licensing procedures.