New Adriatic Gas Well Positions INA for Expanded Domestic Production Through 2026

SEATTLE (Oil Monster): Croatia’s state-backed energy producer INA has advanced its offshore development program with the launch of test production at the IKA A-1 R DIR well, the first of two new wells tied to the long-running IKA-A platform in the northern Adriatic. 

Early December marked the start of flow testing, with initial output reaching 120,000 cubic meters of natural gas per day, making it INA’s second most productive well in the country.

Preliminary assessments indicate the well is tapping into an estimated 220 million cubic meters of recoverable gas, equivalent to roughly 1.3 million barrels of oil. During the testing phase, INA is conducting detailed hydrodynamic analyses to determine long-term production rates. All gas extracted during testing is transported through existing infrastructure into Croatia’s national energy grid.

Josip Bubnic, INA’s Operating Director of Exploration and Production, emphasized that the project strengthens Croatia’s energy security at a time of heightened global market volatility. He noted that expanding domestic gas output remains a central priority for the company.

Drilling of the second well, IKA A-4 R DIR, is underway and is expected to begin production in the first quarter of 2026. The two-well program involves abandoning depleted mother wells and sidetracking into previously untapped zones, with both sites to be integrated into the existing IKA-A system. Further offshore drilling campaigns are slated for 2026 as INA enters a new phase of investment.

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