A delegation from Russia’s Gasprom is currently visiting the Crimea. In a meeting with the general director of the Chornomornaftohaz (Black Sea Oil & Gas) state company Mykola Ilnytsky, its members intend to discuss new opportunities for cooperation in the sphere of underwater oil and natural gas extraction near the Kerch peninsula.
According to Ilnytsky, Russia has no floating drilling stations, sea pipelines, or any other equipment. In Soviet times, Russian and Ukrainian experts cooperated in Sakhalin, Vietnam, and the Baltic states. Now they can unite their efforts on the Azov and Black Sea coast, where Ukraine extracts 2.3 million cubic meters of natural gas daily. Russian investment may be used to finance the expensive sea drilling.
It is easy to understand the head of Chornomornaftohaz. In April alone his enterprise carried out geological research costing Hr 1.5 million. The state has covered only Hr 93,000. Consumers’ debts are also one of the reasons for Chornomornaftohaz’s poverty. Since 1995 the debt has exceeded $73 million.
Some time ago the well-known Shell and JKX companies obtained a number of fields for extracting hydrocarbons on the seacoast. Ilnytsky said, however, “so far he has not seen any foreign company which wants to do something good for Ukraine.” When it comes to work, they begin voicing additional conditions and demands, which leads to delays in the work process.
As to the cooperation with Russia, the search works will be carried out in the waters of both countries by a joint enterprise, which will be later established. The head of Chornomornaftohaz claims he can accomplish more with Gasprom than with any Western company. The Russian side may be allowed to use Ukraine’s transport system and Hlibivka underground storage. “The English are completely inactive in the Black Sea, and there is nothing I can do about it,” said Ilnytsky.






