Government plans to sign agreement with ExxonMobil in October

The Ukrainian government is planning to sign in October 2013 a production sharing agreement with Exxon Mobil on the extraction of hydrocarbons within the Skifska area on the Black Sea shelf.

Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Eduard Stavytsky said this at a briefing at the Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday, a Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"The Ukrainian government has entered the final stage of signing a production sharing agreement on hydrocarbon production on the Black Sea shelf within the Skifska area, and the signing of this agreement will be completed this month," Stavytsky said.

The minister said that ExxonMobil is planning to begin land surveying work on this area by the end of the year.

"The company's ship is completing work in Romania in late November, and they hope to then enter our territory," he said.