Croatian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Tomislav Coric said that the country could increase its natural gas production from existing wells by 20 % by 2024, but it has no ambitions to support further hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation activities.
According to the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency (HZU), Croatia produced 0.78 billion cubic meters of gas last year, which covered about 30 % of the domestic gas demand which amounted to 2.7 billion cubic meters. With the production from new sources this year with an additional 285 million cubic meters of gas, total domestic production will exceed 1 billion cubic meters and will cover some 40 % of domestic demand.
HZU noted that the new production of hydrocarbons in Croatia will come from the Pannonian basin where exploration is currently being conducted by the oil INA, Vermilion Zagreb Exploration and Aspect Croatia. These concessions were awarded in 2016.
The Canadian Vermilion is expected to start natural gas production in the coming period from its exploitation fields Berak and Ceric in eastern Slavonia, with an estimated initial amount of 250,000 cubic meters per day from each well. INA is also expected to increase onshore gas production with an estimated initial quantity of about 55,700 cubic meters per day.
HZU added that there is still great potential in the northern Adriatic for several successful development wells that are expected to produce new quantities of gas for the domestic gas system. Last year in cooperation with Italian Edison, INA drilled Irena 2 South well and discovered new gas reserves.
