A significant breakthrough in Hungary’s energy sector has come from Somogysamson, located in the southwest of the country, where a newly operational oil well is producing 1,400 barrels per day. This discovery marks the first new oil field in the Transdanubian region in nearly a decade and contributes about 1.5% to the MOL Group’s overall daily oil output.
The well, named Som-8, was drilled in November of the previous year and has been in production since then. Nearby, another exploratory well called Som-7 was recently drilled to a depth of 1,500 meters to assess the extent of the oil reservoir in the Somogysamson area. Hungary currently accounts for nearly 40% of the hydrocarbons in MOL Group’s production portfolio, securing a strong position for domestic energy production over the next decade. Drilling activity has reached unprecedented levels recently, with promising sites like the Vecses oil field, alongside Algyo and southern Transdanubia, forming the core of Hungary’s oil reserves.
Producing oil locally provides several benefits, including boosting the national economy, reducing dependence on foreign energy sources, and stabilizing supply. The crude oil extracted in Somogysamson is of higher quality than most imported oil, positively affecting the products refined from it. MOL remains Hungary’s leading oil producer, responsible for nearly half of the country’s oil output and almost 90% of its natural gas supply. Across its wider operations in Croatia and the Middle East, MOL maintains a cost-efficient production model, averaging around 10 dollars per barrel. Despite this, the success rate of new drilling is relatively low, with only 20–25% of wells yielding commercially viable results.
According to Archibald Schubert, MOL Hungary’s exploration and production director, the company invests roughly 100 million euros annually to discover new reserves. Many of Hungary’s existing fields have been in operation for decades, making this ongoing investment crucial to offsetting declining productivity. Each new well costs between 5 and 7.5 million euros, and it is unusual to follow a successful strike with a new drill so soon, which makes the recent developments in Somogysamson especially notable.
Hungary’s hydrocarbon production now averages between 37,000 and 38,000 barrels per day, the highest level in five years, highlighting MOL’s vital role in strengthening the country’s energy security. The Som-8 well reached its target depth within 33 days late last year and initially produced 1,200 barrels per day from a depth of 1,250 meters. Production has since increased to 1,400 barrels per day. The extracted crude, with temperatures between 50 and 54 degrees Celsius, is transported by tanker to Szazhalombatta for refining into fuels and lubricants. The oil comes from a dolomite layer formed over 100 million years ago, with estimates suggesting the hydrocarbons originated as far back as 10 million years ago.
