KIEV, April 4 - Ukraine purchased an offshore drilling rig from Singapore to expand development of its vast oil and gas deposits in the Black Sea, energy and fuel minister Yuriy Boyko said.

“We purchased the most advanced drilling rig from Singapore,” Boyko said in an interview with Inter television over the weekend. “We plan to deliver it to the Black Sea by autumn.”

The new drilling rig is expected to start operation at the Subbotin oil field, the minister said without providing any other details of the deal.