Hungarian fuels group MOL has entered Norway by acquiring 100% ownership in Ithaca Petroleum Norge (IPN) from Ithaca Petroleum Ltd. for USD 60 million to extend its presence in the North Sea region and enhance its international exploration portfolio.

Hungarian oil and gas group MOL has announced that it has successfully closed its previously announced North Sea acquisition, adding that the region was a "very attractive area", the Hungarian financial website, portfolio.hu reports.

Kalegran Ltd, a subsidiary of the Hungarian energy group MOL, found discoveries in the Akri-Bijeel block to be commercial grade, at the Bijell-1 and Bakrman-1 wells of the block, located in the Kurdistan region in the northern part of Iraq.

Croatian energy group INA has announced that it has made a new oil discovery with exploratory well Deletovci-1 Zapad within the oil field Privlaka near the town of Vinkovci. The latest tests show daily oil production of around 600 barrels per day.

Hungarian oil and gas group MOL is to invest further USD 250 million in Kazakhstan where an oil production project is expected to be launched in 2015. Preparatory works are led by MOL there, according to MOL Chairman-CEO Zsolt Hernádi.

Hungary has bought back a 21.2% stake held by Russia’s Surgutneftegaz in fuels group MOL. The deal, to be completed August 31st this year, is worth EUR 1.88 billion and will be paid for from previously drawn IMF grants.

Hungarian energy group MOL is hiking the price of motor fuels further as of Wednesday, with the wholesale price of gasoline to rise by HUF 5 and that of diesel by HUF 6 per liter. The increase takes local prices to new all-time highs.