Hungarian MOL searches for oil at Lake Balaton from the sky

Mol has commissioned the American firm Bell Geospace to conduct aerial geophysical surveys over the Buzsák hydrocarbon exploration concession area between 18 and 28 March, the company informed MTI on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the specialised survey aircraft will take off daily from Pécs-Pogány Airport, covering some 820 square kilometres. The data gathered will enable more precise identification of potential oil and natural gas deposits.

The Hungarian oil firm secured the Buzsák concession in 2025, having bid jointly with the Turkish state-owned TPOC Ltd. Last year’s surface geophysical surveys are now being supplemented by these airborne investigations.

The aircraft’s onboard instruments emit no signals, measuring solely variations in the gravitational field, the company said. The gravimetric technique allows experts to construct a three-dimensional picture of subsurface structures.

The surveys are expected to last ten days, during which the light aircraft will fly daily over parts of Somogy and Zala counties. Flight schedules will be weather-dependent, as the measurements are sensitive to wind and turbulence.

The aircraft will maintain a minimum altitude of 80 metres outside built-up areas and 300 metres over them. Routes will follow parallel north-south bands, criss-crossed by east-west legs, at around 200 km/h. Noise levels will not exceed 70 decibels outside settlements and will be lower still overhead, Mol added.

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• MOL’s Croatian unit inaugurates upgraded refinery

Featured image: depositphotos.com