The oilfield services giant was signed on by Poltava Petroleum Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of UK-listed JKX Oil & Gas, to perform operations on its R103 well in the Rudenkovskoye licence, Poltava.

The well was drilled in 2010 to a total measured depth of 4589 metres, including a sub-horizontal component of 1000 metres in a low permeability gas-bearing Devonian sandstone unit.

Detailed geological and engineering studies of the well had recommended multi-stage fracture treatment.

Schlumberger won a competitive bid to design the R103 multi-stage frac last year.

The additional contracts that have now been signed involve several other Schlumberger divisions sourcing the chemicals, materials, equipment and services necessary to perform the nine-stage frac programme.

“We are very pleased to have placed these series of contracts with an industry leader and look forward to the successful completion of one of the largest frac operations in the region,” JKX chief executive Paul Davies said in a statement.

The company stated that pre-frac preparations on R103, including the replacement of the liner, were well advanced.

The injectivity test was planned for completion in the third quarter of this year.

JKX said the bulk of the fracking had been scheduled for the second quarter of 2013, in recognition of the complex logistics sourcing and mobilisation of long-lead items into Ukraine, as well as the adverse climatic conditions of the Ukrainian winter.

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