Ukrainian Cabinet replaces Naftogaz head, sets goal of accumulating gas for winter, boosting output

MOSCOW. Nov 7 (Interfax) - Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal has presented new Naftogaz Ukraine CEO Alexei Chernyshov to the oil and gas company's staff.

"We congratulate the newly appointed chairman of Naftogaz Ukraine's management board, Alexei Chernyshov, on his position. The new chairman faces important challenges: getting through the heating season; managing the combined heat-and-power plants that have been put under Naftogaz's management; accumulating gas throughout the whole heating season; increasing our own gas production; and providing financial resources for the company's stable operation," Shmygal said on his Telegram channel on Friday.

The prime minister noted that the company "is keeping gas production at a stable level, [and] a sufficient amount of gas has been accumulated in storage facilities to stably get through the heating season."

Ukraine's Cabinet dismissed former Naftogaz CEO Yury Vitrenko on November 1 and appointed Chernyshov, a former regional development minister, to replace him on November 3. Vitrenko had headed the company since April 2021.

Naftogaz includes Ukraine's largest oil and gas producers (100% of Ukrgasvydobuvannya; 50% plus one share of Ukrnafta); has a monopoly on natural gas storage in underground storage facilities (100% of Ukrtransgaz) and oil transportation by pipeline through the country (100% of Ukrtransnafta); and is actively developing gas supplies to households.