The Department of Geology and Geological Concessions at the Ministry of Environment has just issued a decision granting the company ORLEN Upstream another concession for searching for and determining the size of earth gas reserves in the Lublin Region.

The area covered by the concession, tentatively called “Hrubieszów”, covers an area of 414.5 square kilometers and is located within the southeastern part of the Lublin Coal Basin in the administration areas [powiaty] of Chełm and Hrubieszów.

The Department of Environment has granted a concession for a period of 5 years during which the company ORLEN Upstream plans to implement three stages of geological works.

The first stage will include an analysis of archived geological data. It is expected to make possible a reduction of the risk connected with the planned investments. In the course of successive steps 2-dimensional seismic photographs will be designed, executed and interpreted covering a distance of 50 kilometres, as well as 3-dimensional seismic photographs covering a surface of 30 square kilometres. The next, third, stage will consist in designing and drilling appraisal wells.

The company ORLEN Upstream also declares that it will take particular care with respect to natural environment. The areas covered by the Natura 2000 European Ecological Network encompassing habitats of protected birds have been completely excluded from the future search and extraction activities. Additionally, all the works to be carried out by the company, planned in the vicinity of Natura 2000 areas will be designed in such a way as to eliminate any possible negative impact.