For the monopolist Naftogaz, it doesn’t matter what is written in the law. What matters is what the premium is paid for.
On August 15, 2024, JSC “Ukrgasvydobuvannya” issued ORDER No. 653 “On the creation of a working group to analyze factors for reducing the production resource of the gas industry management branch “Shebelinkagazdobycha” in the period September-December 2024.”
The basis for this Order was letter No. вн_02_6108 dated 08/08/2024 of the Shebelinkagazdobycha gas industry branch on adjusting production indicators for commercial gas production.
This letter was signed by the person appointed on 08/05/2024 to the position of first deputy director and acting. Vitaly Podlesny, director of the Shebelinkagazdobycha branch gas industry department.
So, on August 5, 2024, Vitaly Podlesny, his longtime friend Sergei Lagno, who is now acting. General Director of JSC "UkrGasVydobuvannya", promoted to First Deputy Director of the gas industry department "Shebelinkagazdobycha".
On the third day, after the increase, Vitaly Podlesny decided to adjust the production indicators for commercial gas production for September-December 2024 towards their reduction by almost 50 million cubic meters.
After all, Vitaly Podlesny’s PRIZE depends only on this indicator, which is why he sent a letter to his friend Sergei Lagno.
But, to the great regret of Vitaly Podlesny, his friend Sergei Lagno was absent, and acting. The General Director of JSC UkrGasVydobuvannya was performed by First Deputy General Director Viktor Zaets.
It was Viktor Zayets who signed order No. 653.
Without creating a working group and spending travel money, I can point out several factors for reducing the production resource of the Shebelinkagazdobycha gas industry branch in the period September-December 2024.
I will cite only one where there are violations, namely:
1. Krasnogradskoye gas condensate field (special permit for subsoil use No. 4871 dated December 22, 2017 was granted to Ukrgasvydobuvannya JSC), discovered in 1978 based on the results of testing well No. 1.
2. Appendix 2 (Work Program) to Agreement No. 4871 dated September 12, 2019 on the conditions for subsoil use, which is an Appendix to the special permit, provides for:
- During the 3rd-4th quarter of 2023, draw up a “Project for pilot industrial development of the Krasnograd gas condensate field”;
- in the 1st quarter of 2024, it is planned to put the Krasnogradskoye gas condensate field into pilot development.
3. Within the framework of a special permit for the use of subsoil No. 4871 dated December 22, 2017, Ukrgasvydobuvannya JSC drilled two wells, which are currently in conservation according to the subsoil user.
4. The Krasnogradskoye gas condensate field has NOT been entered into pilot industrial development at present.
So, the PROGRAM of work, which is an integral Annex to the Agreement and the special permit for the use of subsoil and is MANDATORY for implementation, is not being implemented today. The field has not been put into pilot industrial development, and, accordingly, commercial gas is not being produced from it. So the gas industry department “Shebelinkagazdobycha” appeared in the branch in 2024 minus 15-20 million cubic meters and violation of subsoil use requirements.
Who is to blame for this?
Sources at Ukrgasvydobuvannya JSC name two versions of who is to blame for this situation.
Version 1.
During 2023-2024, Maxim Gorbatyuk (Director for Commercial Affairs of UkrGasVydobuvannya JSC) “conquered” two “profitable” areas in the company, the direction of capital construction and logistics (purchases). If Maxim Gorbatyuk has more or less figured out capital construction and dentists and football players have taken up the corresponding positions, then Lyubov Dikun (director of procurement and warehouse logistics) is “too tough for Maxim Gorbatyuk.” Accordingly, because of these “intrigues” (who will control investments in construction?) the deadlines for the development and introduction of pilot industrial development of the Krasnogradskoye field were missed.
Version 2.
The Mikhail Bratakh Institute UkrNIIGas, due to its workload with GRANTS for decarbonization of “flows,” did not develop in advance:
- Pilot development project for the Krasnogradskoye field;
- Project for the development (construction of a gas treatment facility) and connection of the Krasnogradskoye field.
Therefore, the deadlines for the construction and commissioning of the Krasnogradskoye field into pilot production were delayed.
It should be noted here that it was Maxim Gorbatyuk who recommended Alexey Chernyshev to extend the contract with Mikhail Bratakh in August 2023 for a year. It was after the extension of the contract that the financial and economic relations between the Institute of Mikhail Bratakh and Maxim Gorbatyuk became more reliable and sophisticated... But I will write about these relations and my Version 3 next time.
I am more inclined to Version 1, because until mid-2024 no one in the company paid attention to the lack and quality of the projects of the Mikhail Bratakh Institute, they built as they wanted, and the Mikhail Bratakh Institute developed projects upon the emergence of a problem.
A striking example is the Mospanovskoye field and the Mospanovskoye gas treatment facility, the designs for which were prepared based on the fact of a “problem”, were manufactured in July-August 2024 (the field has been in pilot development since January 2022) and submitted for approval.
By the way, the story of the special permit for subsoil use No. 4871 dated December 22, 2017, issued by Ukrgasvydobuvannya JSC, testifies to the “effective” fight of the State Geological Service against “dormant” permits. In 8 months of 2024, it was already possible to cancel this permit and put it up for auction..., funds from the Ukrainian budget would not be superfluous.
