Rate on own gas. Will Ukraine be able to refuse the import of “blue fuel”
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This gave the Naftogaz Group a reason to declare the possibility of completely abandoning the imported resource already in the next heating season – for the first time in the history of Ukraine’s independence. Such intentions of the company were announced by its head Oleksiy Chernyshov. How realistic is this plan and what does it take?
Refuse import. And what was possible?
The total volume of natural gas production during the last 20 years of independence fluctuated at the level of about 20 billion cubic meters with some decrease in recent years. At the same time, the amount of consumption was much higher than today.
For example, 10 years ago, Ukraine consumed more than 50 billion cubic meters of gas per year. 20 years ago – more than 76 billion cubic meters. Part of these needs was covered by own production, the rest was imported.
The volume of imports in 2010-2014 reached 25-24 billion cubic meters. Gas was bought in Russia at that time. After the start of the war in 2014, Ukraine began to reduce the volume of direct gas purchases from Russia and establish reverse supplies from EU countries.
In 2016, it completely gave up Russian gas.
Since 2014, the volume of gas imports has significantly decreased compared to previous years. In the pre-war year 2021, Ukraine imported only 2.6 billion cubic meters of “blue fuel”.
During this heating season, Naftogaz imported up to 1 billion cubic meters. And unlike previous years, not a single taxpayer’s hryvnia was used during importation.
A sharp reduction in imports is connected with the consequences of the war – reduction of industry, departure of people abroad. A relatively warm winter also played a role.
At the same time, given the reduction in consumption, Ukraine’s chances of becoming completely independent of gas imports look the most realistic in all the years of independence.
“We want to abandon imports and fully provide consumers with gas produced in Ukraine.
This is the basis of our energy security. Despite the fact that the gas production infrastructure of Naftogaz has repeatedly become a target during enemy attacks, we are not giving up on plans to increase production.
Tthat this is the way to achieve energy independence of Ukraine. The war only emphasized how important this issue is.” – says Oleksiy Chernyshov, head of Naftogaz Ukraine.
Whether this will become a reality depends primarily on JSC “Ukrgazvydobuvannya”, which is part of the Naftogaz Group, because this company accounts for about 70% of the production of “blue fuel” in Ukraine.
Understanding this, Naftogaz Chairman Oleksiy Chernyshov set a task for Ukrgazvydobovaniya to increase gas production by 1 billion cubic meters to 13.5 billion cubic meters in 2023. m.
However, private gas production companies, which extract another 30% of gas production, should also increase production – then everything will be successful.
Drilling wells. Achievements in the conditions of war
How does Naftogaz plan to achieve a significant increase in production in wartime conditions? In Ukrgazvydobovaniya they say that primarily due to 2 main components – increasing the efficiency of geological exploration and increasing the volume of drilling new wells. The plan for this year is to increase the drilled meters by more than 50%.
Since the beginning of 2023, Ukrgazvydobuvannya has already commissioned 7 wells with high production – over 100,000 cubic meters. m per day.
Six of them are new, after drilling, and one more got a second life as a result of major repairs. In addition, the company recently announced the launch of wells with a flow rate of 340 and 460 thousand cubic meters. m per day, which are the highest indicators in recent years.
“Each successful prospecting or exploratory well, as you know, makes it possible to plan the drilling of two, three, four, and sometimes five additional wells on the open deposit.
Tand now we are optimizing our drilling portfolio and laying additional wells that can potentially give high flow rates”, – explains in at. General Director of JSC “Ukrgazvydobuvannya” Oleg Tolmachev.
To intensify production at “old” deposits, gas producers use hydraulic fracturing technology, which makes it possible to extract gas from denser earth rocks.
Even during the war, Ukrgazvydobuvannya performed up to 10 hydraulic fracturing operations per month at a time when external contractors suspended the provision of such services.
Since 2016, when Ukrgazvydobovaniya started using this technology, it was possible to extract about 12 billion cubic meters of gas.
Another solution for increasing gas extraction from depleted wells is mechanized production systems.
Last year, Ukrgazvydobuvannya equipped more than 140 wells with such systems. This is twice as much as compared to the previous year.
“We are working on drilling new wells, conducting geological research and modernizing the existing infrastructure.
In order to achieve high production rates, we also need the introduction of modern technologies and the attraction of significant amounts of investment.
We are working on this issue together with our foreign partners” – says the head of Naftogaz Oleksiy Chernyshov.
How to increase production: new technologies
In total, Ukrgazvydobuvannya has about 3,000 wells at its disposal. However, the problem is that 75% of the fields where mining is already underway exhausted by more than 80%.
Therefore, in order for production to grow in the long term, the company has only two ways – to apply new technologies and to develop new oil and gas fields.
As for technologies, the head of Ukrgazvydobuvanny draws attention to the experience of the USA and Canada, which 15 years ago introduced horizontal drilling technology into widespread use with further intensification of production.
The result was so significant that, in particular, it enabled the US to transform from an importer of natural gas to an exporter.
In a simplified way, this technology looks like this: in a vertically drilled well, the angle is changed and with the help of special equipment, a few more kilometers are drilled horizontally. After that, hydraulic fracturing of the formation is carried out, which increases the flow of gas to the well.
Horizontal drilling can provide Ukraine with additional gas, but this method also requires larger initial investments. If a vertical well costs about 5 million dollars, then a horizontal well costs more than 25 million.
Technically, it is possible to extract gas in this way in Ukraine. “Ukrgazvydobovaniya” already uses 85-90% of the equipment required for horizontal wells.
The first two such wells in Ukraine are planned to start drilling already this year, and the results will be visible in about a year.
The company also enters into a partnership with American gas production companies, which have experience in gas production in this way, for remote training of specialists from Ukraine.
But in any case, to increase gas production, it is necessary to explore new deposits. This is a long, expensive and technologically complex process.
It usually takes 3 to 5 years from obtaining a license to opening a field and receiving the first gas.
It is necessary to obtain the land for use, numerous permits, carry out geological exploration, development of the territory, exploratory and operational drilling.
Active issuance of new licenses for gas extraction in Ukraine began only in 2019.
So, over the past few years, Ukrgazvydobuvanya has managed to conduct geological studies and discover deposits in several new areas. But the oil and gas companies of Ukraine need even more licenses, so the process of submitting them to tenders must continue.
European partners often talk about the possibilities of developing renewable energy in Ukraine and reducing the use of fossil fuels, and Naftogaz is already on the way to this.
However, for now, gas remains an important resource for the country’s energy independence, and its production should remain a priority for Ukraine in the coming years.
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