Vikoil Ltd., a Kiev-based company, has opened a branch in Romania, the only one outside Ukraine. The company has been exploring unconventional gas resource in the Middle East, North Africa and in former states of the Soviet Union.

The Ukrainian company Vikoil, specializing in underground and seismic 2D and 3D exploration, has established a subsidiary in Romania, its only one overseas, and wants to win business in prospecting onshore and offshore gas and oil, mainly unconventional.

The company is owned by businessman Sergei Ushinskiy, has 300 employees and has worked in the Middle East, Russia, North Africa and Latin America, especially in prospecting for shale gas. It is one of the largest companies of its kind in Ukraine, according to economica.net.

Vikoil is headquartered in Kiev, and the subsidiary in Romania, located in Bucharest, is headed by Vladimir Gryshanenko. In Romania, the biggest player in the market is Prospecțiuni S.A.