Belarus, Ukraine Start Joint Geological Survey

Ukraine and Belarus started joint geological surveys for oil and gas, with a focus on the Pripiiat flexure and the Dnieper-Donetsk depression.

“The survey includes the territories where major Belarusian and Ukrainian oil and gas deposits are concentrated,” wrote Belarusian Telegraph Agency on Tuesday, reporting the statement of Iaroslav Gribik, chief geologist for Oil and Gas at State Enterprise Scientific and Production Center for Geology.

Ukraine's government is keen to produce locally to ease dependence on Russia. Ukraine also continues to make ambitious plans to decrease national energy consumption, switch its power stations from natural gas to coal, build an LNG terminal, and open reverse flows of gas from Europe.

Belarus is in a similar condition. It relies on Russian Federation for fuel, receiving 5.75 million tons of Russian oil every three months.

Preparations for the project began in May 2012. Several organizations of the two countries are taking part to the geological survey, with an external contribution of the University of Copenhagen (Denmark). The survey report is expected to be ready in late 2014.