OREANDA-NEWS. November 21, 2012. Increase of domestic gas production is the main priority of the development of the energy sector of Ukraine. This was started by the Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Yuriy Boyko on air of the Inter TV channel.

"However much we did not buy gas, where we did not buy it - anyway, we pay money out of our economy to another economy. Therefore it is better to produce it at home, to produce more, while creating new jobs. Increase of domestic gas production - it is priority number 1 for us", Yuriy Boyko said.

He stressed that Ukraine is actively developing gas fields in the Black Sea.

"Next year due to the modern equipment that we use now we will go to the first place in gas production among the countries of the Black Sea region and will produce more gas than all of them put together - 3 billion cubic meters", the Minister said.

Mr. Boyko also noted that gas production will be increased due to the development of the deposit on land, particularly reserves of unconventional gas, attracting leading oil and gas companies in the world. In this case, an important focus will be on the development of social infrastructure in the regions, where the gas will be produced.

"Companies that have come to produce gas in certain regions will perform appropriate social program. This is an indispensable condition", the Minister said.