Artem Petrenko, Director of the Association of Gas Extraction Companies of Ukraine (AGKU), stated that attempts to halt the development of the Zhukovska oil and gas area in the Poltava region pose a direct threat to attracting investment in domestic gas extraction amid the war. According to him, the plot was acquired at an open electronic auction back in 2021 for 90 million UAH, yet the current actions to block its development undermine the state's energy security and push Ukrainian products off their own market. The statement came against the backdrop of the association's data showing that it is precisely the work of extraction companies that allows the country to supply itself with gas virtually without interruptions.
What is happening with the Zhukovska area
According to AGKU, the Zhukovska area is being developed by the company "Horizons" as part of the Zakhidna Drahservice Group in partnership with an international investor — the Czech company MND. Petrenko emphasized that the situation around the plot repeats scenarios previously recorded in the industry: obstruction of gas extraction and blocking of companies' operations, in his assessment, look like a direct action against the state. The expert declined to answer the question of whose interests this serves, calling it rhetorical. At the same time, he noted that Ukrainian extraction companies continue to invest significant funds in the sector, maintain production under daily attacks and promptly resume operations, while stable extraction requires developing new plots and drilling wells.
Investments and results during the war
According to the data provided by Petrenko, only during the full-scale war, Zakhidna Drahservice together with MND Ukraine discovered five deposits, drilled 97 wells, extracted 1.7 billion cubic meters of gas and built six gas processing units. Investments in gas extraction over 4.5 years amounted to $167.5 million, a further $98.4 million was directed to research, drilling, construction of gas processing units, pipelines and infrastructure, and another $128.4 million to other capital energy projects. The total investment, according to the association's estimate, exceeds $394 million, while taxes paid amount to 16.7 billion hryvnias.
Historical context and parallels
Commenting on the situation, Petrenko recalled precedents in the industry: in 2012–2014, he said, "activists" blocked the development of a large plot in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, and in 2018 similar cases were again recorded in the Kharkiv region. The expert linked these episodes to the subsequent exposure of the participants' ties to the aggressor and stated that the same scenario is being repeated in the Poltava region. Thus, the association interprets the blocking of the Zhukovska area not as a local dispute, but as an element of systemic pressure on the gas extraction sector.
Contradictory data
It is important to note that the information about the very fact of the blocking of work at the Zhukovska area, its causes and the motivation of the participants is based on the AGKU statement and is not confirmed in the provided materials by an independent investigation or a second source. Other publications by the association, available in verified sources, concern different issues — the restriction of gas exports with the possibility of their immediate halt and demands to the NKREKU and the Ministry of Energy regarding fines for gas quality — which indicates the AGKU's active stance but does not verify the specific situation around the Zhukovska area. Thus, the version of sabotage and of a link between the blocking and an external aggressor currently reflects the position of one party, while alternative explanations for the halt of work are absent from the materials.
Significance for energy security
Regardless of the assessment of the causes, the dispute over the Zhukovska area touches on a key issue for the winter period — the resilience of gas supply. As specialized media previously noted, preparation for the new heating season largely depends on the pace of developing new plots and drilling wells. If the blocking is confirmed and prolonged, it may reduce volumes of domestic extraction at a time when the country is already suffering significant infrastructure losses. For investors, in turn, such episodes send a signal of risks, which in the long term can make attracting capital to the energy sector more expensive.
