The Ukrainian government and Shell will sign an operating agreement on the exploration of hydrocarbons on September 13, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said.

"An operating agreement will be signed with Shell during the Ukrainian premier's visit to the Netherlands on Friday, and it will launch the practical work of this corporation on the exploration and extraction of hydrocarbons in Ukraine," he said, while opening a government meeting on Wednesday.

As reported, on January 24, 2013, Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers approved a production sharing agreement (PSA) with Shell and Nadra Yuzivska LLC for the Yuzivska field (7,886 square kilometers, located in Kharkiv and Donetsk regions).

The first 15 exploratory wells as part of the project are to be drilled in the next five years.