KIEV, July 26 - Crude oil shipments via Ukraine plunged 23.3% on the year in January through June after Belarus stopped using Azeri oil and relied on Russian oil imports, a state-owned shipper reported Thursday.

KHARKIV, July 25 – Shell is studying opportunities to extract shale gas in Izium district (Kharkiv region), said Yuriy Sapronov deputy head of Kharkiv Regional State Administration.

KIEV, July 25 - Italian energy group Eni S.p.a. is opening a representative office in Ukraine to search for natural gas, the State Geological and Subsoil Service said in a statement.

KIEV, July 26 – The National Bank of Ukraine has appointed its administrators to two banks from the group of largest banks in Ukraine, sources in financial circles have told Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, July 26 – Law No. 7351 on the protection of rights of credit and financial services consumers passed by Parliament at first reading could fail to be effective due to corruption in the courts and the non-transparent work of law-enforcement service and notaries, according to Roman Shpek, senior Alfa-Bank adviser and a member of the National Bank of Ukraine's Council.

KIEV, July 26 – The state does not want to see mass sales of land plots by farmers and wants to buy up at least 30% of the country's farmland, said Mykola Kaliuzhny, deputy head of Ukraine’s State Agency for Land Resources of Ukraine.

KIEV, July 26 – Tariffs for housing and utilities services will increase at the beginning of heating season in Ukraine on October 15, Housing and Utilities Minister Yuriy Khivrych told the Segodnia newspaper.

KIEV, July 23 – The increase in gas prices charged to the public and heating companies will allow the investment of additional funds in the development of Ukrainian gas fields, and increase the volume of gas extracted, Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko said at a briefing on Friday.

CHELYABINSK, July 26 - Russia's Economic Development Ministry is looking over the possibility of cutting a long-term pipe and steel deal with Ukraine in place of the current quota procedure, Deputy Economic Development Minister Andrei Klepach said during a metallurgy meeting in Chelyabinsk.

MOSCOW, July 23 - The international Sea Launch company has signed an agreement with the U.S. satellite operator EchoStar Satellite Services for the launch of three communication satellites.