MOL has discovered a new oil field near Somogysámson in Western Hungary. During the exploration drilling carried out in December 2024, oil was found at a depth of 1,250 meters. According to the results, the well has potential to produce 1,200 bpd.
“I am very proud to announce that, after exploration success in recent years, we have again discovered a new oil field – this time in the Transdanubian region, where we last discovered oil more than a decade ago,” said Zsombor Marton, Executive Vice President of MOL Group Exploration and Production. “The fact that we achieved this success in the concession belonging to Bázakerettye, which has an almost 100-year oil industry tradition, is clear evidence that there is still potential in hydrocarbon exploration in Hungary. We are discovering previously unknown hydrocarbon deposits one after the other and further strengthening the country’s security of supply: with the oil deposits in Vecsés and Tura and the natural gas fields in Eastern Hungary, we have reached a five-year peak in domestic production.”
“As a landlocked country, our oil supply is largely via pipelines and intermediaries,” added Dr. György Bacsa, COO of MOL Hungary. “It is clear that we need to reduce Hungary’s import dependence by all means available. We will continue our investments and will do our utmost to maintain and, if possible, increase production.”
The drilling of the new well in the Somogysámson oilfield, called Som-8, began on November 25, 2024, and was completed after 33 days. Based on the well tests carried out prior to March 2025, the well is currently proven to be capable of producing 1,200 bpd, which is transported by truck to the Danube Refinery in Százhalombatta.
This new discovery will also help meet the country’s energy needs. MOL has ambitious E&P investment plans. Over the next five years, the company plans to invest approximately HUF 150 billion in oil and natural gas production in Hungary.
MOL is the largest hydrocarbon producer in Hungary, producing at almost 1,300 oil and natural gas wells. In 2024, MOL provided 47% of crude oil (almost 600,000 tonnes) and nearly 90% of natural gas (nearly 1.5 billion m3) of domestic production. Hungary is the most significant in the MOL Group’s oil and gas production portfolio, currently accounting for approximately 39% of total production.
The oil production of the Som-8 well is around 1200 bpd, accounting for about 1% of MOL Group’s total hydrocarbon production.
As part of MOL Group’s international portfolio, the company has oil and gas exploration and production assets in nine countries, with production in eight countries. In 2024, it produced an average of 93.8 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed). To maintain the updated SHAPE TOMORROW strategy target of at least 90,000 bpd production level over the next five years, the company aims to further strengthen its international portfolio and seeks additional strategic partnerships. Consequently, it has recently signed cooperation agreements with the national oil company of Kazakhstan (KazMunayGas), the national oil company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), and the national oil company of Türkiye (Turkish Petroleum).
Image: MOL Group
