Ukraine’s state-run Naftogaz and Ukrnafta oil and gas companies have raised their natural gas output to around 11 billion cubic meters (bcm) in January-September versus 10.3 bcm in the same period in 2023, Naftogaz said on Friday.

“We continue to increase Ukrainian gas production,” said Oleksiy Chernyshov, CEO of Naftogaz Group.

“We are currently 2% ahead of our production targets.”

Naftogaz said previously that it planned to increase gas output to 15 billion cubic metres (bcm) this year, from 14 bcm in 2023.

Ukrnafta is the largest oil company in Ukraine, and its 50% plus one share owned by Naftogaz.

“This heating season, just like last year, we plan to supply the population of Ukraine and other categories of public service obligations exclusively with our own resources,” Chernyshov said in a statement.

Last year, overall Ukrainian gas production increased to 18.7 bcm from 18.5 bcm in 2022, while domestic consumption fell to about 19 bcm.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; editing by David Evans)