Croatia
INA d.d.
74.4 MMboe
24.4 mboepd
Croatia is one of MOL Group’s core countries in terms of production and reserves on portfolio level where exploration and production activities started in 1952. Since then, more than 45 oil and 30 gas fields were put into operation, around 4,500 exploration and development wells were drilled with total depth of about seven million meters. Currently there are about 1,200 oil and gas wells with more than 3,000 km of various pipelines. Current activities include exploration, development and production of oil, natural gas and condensate.
Besides onshore, there are also offshore operations in the northern Adriatic where production begun in 1999. Currently INA is the sole owner and operator of 10 gas fields since the ENI buyout in 2018, while gas field Izabela is exploited in cooperation with Energean through joint operating company ED-INA.
The main challenge INA is facing is declining production from its mature fields. The declining trend of domestic crude oil production was reversed back in 2014 through Production Optimization activities. It was rising year-over-year until 2019, when it started to decline slightly again, yet still surpassed the level of production in 2016. Croatian onshore and offshore production contributes around 25% of MOL Group’s production.
Exploration Program
In 2023 three wells were drilled in Drava-03 block after analysis of seismic data acquired in 2022. Veliki Rastovac-1 well was drilled in June 2023 resulting in notice of commercial gas discovery to Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency. Obradovci-1 Jug and Mikleuš-1 wells were drilled back-to-back in August and September 2023, both as dry wells, and afterwards plugged and abandoned. Dinaridi-14 and SZH-01 blocks were relinquished. In October 2023, two geothermal exploration concessions were awarded. In May 2024, 250 km2 large 3D seismic acquisition has started on Virovitica area in the vicinity of the newly discovered Veliki Rastovac gas field. Early 2024, INA signed partnership agreement with Vermilion for the exploration block SAVA-07 (SA-07). Vermilion will retain 60 percent of the share and maintain its position as operator on the block, while INA will have 40 percent. As part of first exploration phase working program 4 exploration wells will be drilled during 2024.
Field development and Production Optimization
Zalata-Dravica location permits for pipelines have been issued and settlement of property legal relations on gas pipeline route is underway. The Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) program continued with carbon dioxide injection on Ivanić and Žutica fields. Implementation of the Production Optimization project continued, and within its scope, a total of 58 well workovers were completed in 2023. Turnaround (TA) was successfully executed on 2 production regions and 16 locations, including Gas Processing Facilities Molve and Fractionation Facilities Ivanić-Grad.
As part of the North Adriatic Offshore Development Program, drilling and testing finished for four open sea wells: Ilena-2 ver, Ida D-1 ver, Ira-1 dir and Ida D-2 ver. Well of the capsized Ivana D offshore platform was plugged and abandoned; Environmental impact study preparation is in progress.
In 2023 two Geothermal licenses were granted to INA which are already in the exploration phase.
PRIORITIES FOR UPCOMING YEARS
Carry on with the exploration activities in newly awarded areas involving carbon neutral projects, production optimisation and field development projects (EOR, WF) in mature fields and Offshore development projects. On top of this we aim to increase our operating efficiency and productivity.
For details of other E&P operations, please click on the highlighted countries below: