Naftogaz Group has appointed Sanzhar Zharkeshov as Deputy Head of the Upstream Division. A manager with wealth of experience in implementing oil and gas projects in 17 countries will assume responsibility for the exploration and development of gas fields.

“The increase in the resource and reserve base has been identified by our shareholder as one of the strategic priorities of Naftogaz Group. As we continue transforming the company, we bring the function of exploration and development of gas fields to the level of the Group and thus concentrate a greater managerial and financial resource on it. Our ambition is that this function of Naftogaz reaches world-class level. The appointment of Sanzhar Zharkeshov, who has extensive experience working with leading international and national oil and gas companies, will contribute to this,” said Otto Waterlander, Chief Operating Officer of Naftogaz Group.

Sanzhar Serikbaevich worked for 6 years in different divisions of Exxon Mobil, where he gained production experience in research and development of both onshore and offshore fields in Kazakhstan, Iraq and the USA. In 2014, he led the project for drilling a record deep well on Sakhalin (13 thousand meters) on a global scale. He developed and implemented strategic projects for companies such as Shell, Chevron, Ecopetrol, Gazpromneft, Wintershall DEA, etc. Prior to his appointment at Naftogaz, he held the post of Vice Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan and Chairman of the Board of the national Kazgeology JSC, where he was in charge of the Kazakh geological industry.

Sanzhar Zharkeshov obtained a degree in oil and gas engineering at the University of Texas (USA), as well as a degree in finance at the Kazakh University of Economics. For several years he headed the regional divisions of the international Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE); Fellow of the British Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

“For the energy independence of Ukraine, we must unleash the new potential of the Ukrainian subsoil. The work goes on two vectors. The first one is a follow-up exploration and application of new gas production technologies at existing depleted deposits. The second one is the increase in the resource base due to the development of deep horizons, unconventional gas reservoirs, and, in the long term, the offshore. We strengthen our team with internationally recognized experts in order to have the requisite expertise and apply sound management approaches in the field of exploration and development of deposits,” added Oleksandr Romanyuk, head of the Upstream Division.