PKN ORLEN to start drilling on the Baltic Sea

Balin Energy SIA, a vehicle co-owned by PKN ORLEN - ORLEN International Exploration and Production Company B.V and Kuwait Energy Company Netherlands Cooperatief U.A., is planning to drill its first vertical well in the Northern Block of Latvia's economic zone.

PKN ORLEN signs a new contract for crude oil supplies until 2014

A new long-term contract providing for crude oil supplies to the Płock plant was signed today by PKN ORLEN with Souz Petrolium. The contract, which is to replace the agreement with Petraco due to expire at the end of this year, is worth c.a. PLN 19.4 billion.

PKN ORLEN drills the first shale gas exploration well

PKN ORLEN has started to drill the first well for shale gas appraisal and exploration purposes in Syczyn (Commune of Wierzbica, Poland). It is the first of the two core holes planned for this year. The decision to drill in Syczyn was made on the basis of the positive results of geological surveys of the area. The wells will be drilled by MND Drilling & Services of the Czech Republic.

ORLEN already holds eight licences for exploration for unconventional gas deposits (shale gas and tight gas)

Two new licences for exploration and appraisal of unconventional gas deposits have been granted to ORLEN Upstream by the Ministry of the Environment. The licences cover adjacent areas in western part of the Province of Łódź.

EBRD supports PKN ORLEN’s investments in environmental protection and power generation

Today, PKN ORLEN and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have signed an agreement for a EUR 250m loan to be used by PKN Orlen to finance environmental protection projects and improve the energy efficiency of the CHP plant in Płock. The planned investments are expected to reduce compounds emissions from the CHP plant by 90%. The financing will be available until 2018.

Launch of Europe’s most advanced PX/PTA complex

PKN ORLEN has launched Europe’s most advanced petrochemical complex for paraxylene and terephthalic acid production (PX/PTA). Present at the event marking the launch was Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The new complex, which is Poland's first and the most efficient complex of its kind in Europe, comprises facilities located at PKN ORLEN’s plant in Płock (paraxylene production) and in Włocławek (terephthalic acid production). The project was completed in a record short time of three years and cost more than EUR 1bn.

ORLEN has a new shale gas concession

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.

ORLEN has contracted sales of fuels for more than pln 33 billion

The ORLEN Group has completed the major part of the contracting process related to wholesale supplies of fuels in 2011. The Company's products will be supplied by land and sea to markets in Western, Central and Eastern Europe. The value of the contracts exceeds PLN 33bn, including over 16bn worth of contracts executed by the Parent Undertaking.

The joint drilling by ORLEN Upstream and PGNiG in the Sieraków area

ORLEN Upstream and PGNiG have jointly spudded the first of the three appraisal wells planned to be drilled in the Sieraków area in 2011-2012.