A huge natural gas field has been discovered by Croats near the Hungarian border, writes Világgazdaság. The discovery could have a major impact on Hungary’s neighbor’s energy security, but it could also benefit MOL through its Croatian subsidiary.
INA’s test drilling near Grubišno Polje in east-central Croatia has yielded much better results than expected.
On the outskirts of the village, some 40 kilometers from the Hungarian border, experts have succeeded in drilling a well capable of producing 140,000 cubic meters of natural gas per day.
This is extremely good news for Hungary’s neighbors to the southwest, as the well alone can meet seven percent of the country’s gas needs. However, that is not all- the Slavonia region gas field is estimated by engineers to contain 150 million cubic meters of gas, and another 800-meter deep well will soon be drilled, which could yield even more than the one just discovered. Together, the two new wells could supply up to 15 percent of Croatia’s gas needs. The enviable yield is coupled with very good quality, as the 70°C gas, coming out at 92 bar, is extremely dry. However, it is too early to rejoice, as the second drilling and the infrastructure needed to extract and transport the natural gas is expected to be completed in three years, only after which the well can be exploited.
The extraction will be carried out by INA, MOL’s Croatian subsidiary, which is partly owned by the Croatian state, hence the Hungarian company stands to benefit from the discovery.
Several gas fields have already been discovered in the Grubišno Polje area. The largest of these was discovered west of the town in 1996. A well capable of extracting 255,000 cubic meters of natural gas per day was discovered a few years ago. The newly discovered gas field in the Slavonia region will be able to supply Croatian consumers for about five years if intensively exploited. However, the empty well will not be a dead end, as the Zagreb government plans to turn the depleted mines in the area into underground gas storage facilities by 2050.
Source : Hungary Today
