KIEV, March 29 - International oil and gas company Shell hopes Ukraine will announce an open tender to select an investor for the development of hydrocarbon reserves under a production sharing agreement (PSA) soon, noting the delay in its preparation.

LVIV, March 30 – Mass illegal dismissals have started at Lviv-based OJSC Zakhidenergo, an electricity generating company, claims Oleksandr Hudyma, an MP from the BYT faction and a member of the parliamentary committee for fuel and energy complex.

KIEV, March 29 – Ukraine is lagging behind other countries in the region due to structural weaknesses and problems with reforms, IMF Resident Representative in Ukraine Max Alier said.

KIEV, March 30 – EnergoAtom and Westinghouse have discussed prospects for cooperation after the expiration of the current contract for the supply of fuel to three reactors at Ukrainian nuclear power plants, EnergoAtom reported.

DNIPROPETROVSK, March 30 - Pavlohrad chemical plant (Dnipropetrovsk region) has finished construction of a facility for removing solid rocket propellant from SS-22 ballistic missiles, said Yevhen Ustymenko the company's technical director.

KIEV, March 30 - The government and major oil companies, including Lukoil and TNK-BP, on Wednesday signed a memorandum that calls for increasing oil imports and oil refining in Ukraine.

KIEV, March 30 - Ukraine’s largest oil producer UkrNafta and largest oil refinery UkrTatNafta should be merged into one operation, Ihor Kolomoyskiy, a billionaire co-owner of both companies, said Wednesday.

KIEV, March 29 – Ukraine’s total direct and guaranteed state debt increased by 0.7%, or $257 million, in February to a new record high of $37.944 billion, the Finance Ministry reported.

KIEV, March 30 – Ukraine's GDP growth in 2010 will be 3.4%, and in 2011 it could accelerate to 4.7%, following a 15% fall in 2009, according to experts of investment companies, banks and nongovernmental analytical centers that took part in a March consensus forecast drawn up the aegis the Economy Ministry.

KIEV, March 27 – Gaz Ukrayiny Company has signed supplementary agreements for the prolongation of the term of agreements on natural gas supplies to Kyivenergo, the electricity supply company has reported.

Kyivenergo said that the submission of the agreements was delayed.