Ukrnafta boosts daily flow rate of well 25-fold with fracking

MOSCOW. May 29 (Interfax) - PJSC Ukrnafta has used hydraulic fracturing to boost the daily flow rate of a well in the country's north-east 25-fold, Ukrainian media quoted company chief Sergei Koretsky as saying on social media.

This is now the company's most productive well with 103 tonnes of oil equivalent per day, he said.

As a result of the work done by the contractor, Takrom Ukraine LLC, the well, which used to produce 4.1 tonnes per day with a bottom-hole pump, now has a flow rate of 73 tonnes of oil and 35,000 cubic meters of gas.

Koretsky also said that as of the end of May, 12 acid frac jobs had been done in 10 wells at an Ukrnafta field in Western Ukraine. Specialists from the field development department used an enhanced slurry composition and combined their own fleet and mobile special equipment.

"The result is that additional cumulative output out from hydraulic and acid fracturing over five months amounted to 8,941 tonnes of oil, the success rate was 93% and the average increase in flow rate was 4x," he said.

Ukrnafta increased production of oil with condensate by 39,900 tonnes or 3% to 1,409,900 tonnes in 2023. Production of natural and associated petroleum gas increased by 60.4 mcm or 5.8% to 1.097 billion cubic meters.

Ukrnafta has the strategic goal of doubling oil and natural gas production by 2027, to 3 million tonnes and 2 billion cubic meters, respectively.

Ukrnafta is Ukraine's biggest oil producer. It has a national network of 537 filling stations, of which 456 are operating. The biggest shareholder is Naftogaz with 50% plus one share. The Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief ruled on November 5, 2022 to expropriate Ukrnafta shares owned by private shareholders - that stake is now controlled by the Defense Ministry.