Houston — Ukrainian energy producer JKX Oil & Gas said on Tuesday its operations are largely uninterrupted with employees taking refugees from other parts of the country into their homes after Russia’s invasion.
The Feb. 24 invasion has triggered an enormous refugee crisis, the United Nations said, with more than two million Ukrainians, mostly women and children, fleeing to the European Union to escape Russia’s bombardment, which Moscow calls a “special operation.”
Charles Valceschini, chairman of the natural gas producer, which has operations in Ukraine and southern Russia, said at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston that the safety of the company’s staff is first priority for managers.
“Our folks have taken steps to prepare for the worst starting with the rapid construction of bomb shelters,” he said.
Employees have prepared for forces moving on its oil and gas fields, he said.
“There’s potential for artillery shells and acts of war arriving on their doorstep,” Valceschini said. “(I) can’t overstate the horrors of this situation.”
The company produced about 9,300 barrels of oil and gas per day last year, according to its website, about half of which is from Ukraine. Gas output is going into pipelines, liquid petroleum gas to end users, and oils to storage, he said.
- Reuters (Reporting by Marcy de Luna Editing by Marguerita Choy)
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