Ukraine’s path to gas independence is to encourage private investment and to break up the monopoly of Naftogaz, the state company that produces 75% of the nation’s gas,

Ukraine’s path to gas independence is to encourage private investment and to break up the monopoly of Naftogaz, the state company that produces 75% of the nation’s gas, Ukrainian businessman Pavlo Fuks writes on Telegram. Through August, private company gas production is up 8.7% yoy, while Naftogaz production is up 2.6%. Fuks praised the government’s steps to place geological seismic data online and to hold transparent, ProZorro-style electronic auctions for gas fields. If deregulation continues, he says, Ukraine can double gas production. He writes: “If there is a political decision to de-monopolize the market, we will get fast growth.”