"Batteries are now an opportunity. Whoever builds them fast will seize it."

The MND Group has been operating in Ukraine for over ten years and, despite the war, it has managed not only to maintain operations but also to gradually develop gas production. However, everyday work takes place in conditions that most of us in Czechia or Germany can hardly imagine. We talked to Volodya Stebletsky, Technical Director of MND Ukraine, about how MND Ukraine works today, what is most difficult and what gives them the strength to continue.

AI, artificial intelligence. Two words that have been resonating not only in the world of technology for some time now, but are also increasingly penetrating our everyday working lives. AI is talked about, written about, discussed – but how do we actually use it at MND? And what does it mean for each of us?

MND Germany GmbH has established itself as a respected drilling contractor in the German market over the past few years. Thanks to its emphasis on quality, safety and flexibility, MND Germany has managed to establish a strong position amongst its competitors and is currently successfully completing a one-year drilling campaign for one of the country's largest operators, Harbour Energy, with 40 rigs, building on the activities of the former Wintershall Dea.

First wild water, then green hydrogen. Pavel Srbecký and Jakub Drnec are the main figures of the startup Nano Advanced, which MND joined last year. The company is developing an innovative hydrogen generator that is tailored to renewable resources. Its advantages are high efficiency and, above all, a longer lifetime. According to Pavel Srbecký, production is sold out two years in advance - and that's before the final product is finished. Such is the current market interest in hydrogen production machines.

Successful development of the Tynivska licence, the Girska extension, the acquisition of Pivdeno Girska and the plan for the first well at Zhukyvska. MND has moved up a gear in Ukraine. And they are on track for further milestones. This year, the company wants to reach 150 million cubic meters of gas production in the country. Lukáš Svozil is in charge of MND's Ukrainian operations and spends much of his time on the road.

"Our success is built on two fundamental pillars that complement each other. The first pillar is a strong team in Lviv. The second is the great support from Hodonin," he says.

Geology is often about experience and intuition in interpreting data. 3D seismic measurements may produce hard data, but they can reveal a lot, and the human factor still plays a significant role. Volodya Radelytskyi knows the underground structures of western Ukraine very well. It was he who strongly recommended that MND buy the Tynivskaya licence. The swampy area at first sight did not have such potential.

Rector of the National Technical University of Oil and Gas in Ivano-Frankivsk Ihor Chudyk had a birthday on June 22. The celebration did not take place, as a Russian rocket landed on the school he heads in the morning and seriously damaged the entire campus. Horizons, a subsidiary of MND Ukraine, has long been working with the university and decided to help it with a million hryvnias to initially repair the damage.