ORLEN completes expansion of Wierzchowice Underground Gas Storage Facility

Located in Lower Silesia, Wierzchowice is Poland’s largest underground gas storage facility. Its capacity has increased by more than 60%, from 1.3 billion to 2.1 billion cubic metres. The additional storage capacity, together with higher gas injection and withdrawal capacities, helps ensure continuity of gas supplies and provides greater flexibility in meeting demand from households, the power sector and industry. The facility was designed to accommodate further expansion, potentially to 4.2 billion cubic metres.

“Energy markets do not operate in a vacuum. Geopolitical developments, international tensions and supply disruptions affect commodity prices and economic stability. That is why we continue to expand our own gas production, diversify supply routes and invest in infrastructure. The expansion of Wierzchowice, Poland’s largest gas storage facility, increases the country’s gas storage capacity by approximately a quarter. This significantly strengthens security of supply for households and businesses and marks another step towards greater energy independence for Poland,” said Ireneusz Fąfara, President of the ORLEN Management Board.

The expansion involved drilling three new gas injection and withdrawal wells, upgrading the gas dehydration system and installing additional compressor units. The upgrades have not only increased the facility’s storage capacity but also provided greater flexibility in replenishing gas stocks and delivering gas into the network. The investment supports the objectives of Poland’s Energy Policy until 2040 by contributing to increased underground gas storage and withdrawal capacity.

“The PLN 580 million project has added 800 million cubic metres of gas storage capacity. The investment strengthens Poland’s energy security and helps ensure reliable access to natural gas, benefiting households and businesses alike. As Poland’s largest natural gas producer and importer, ORLEN is also the largest user of the country’s gas storage facilities,” said Wiesław Prugar, Vice President of the ORLEN Management Board, Upstream.

ORLEN Technologie acted as the main contractor and was responsible for project supervision. ORLEN Gazoprojekt prepared the design, while Exalo Drilling carried out the drilling work. Numerous subcontractors, including local companies, were also involved. Wierzchowice is a depleted-field storage facility where gas is stored in natural geological formations. The gas field was discovered in 1971 and converted into a storage facility in 1995, after 23 years of production. ORLEN owns the facility and is its principal user, using it to balance gas supply and demand and ensure continuity of supply to its customers.

The Wierzchowice expansion strengthens the ORLEN Group’s wider gas storage system, comprising seven underground facilities for high-methane natural gas. Five – Wierzchowice, Strachocina, Husów, Swarzów and Brzeźnica – are depleted-field storage facilities developed in former hydrocarbon reservoirs. The other two, at Kosakowo and Mogilno, are salt cavern facilities, where gas is stored in caverns created within underground salt deposits.

Underground gas storage facilities play an important role in meeting Poland’s demand for natural gas, a key energy source for households, the power sector and industry. Together with ORLEN’s gas production in Poland and on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, as well as LNG supplies primarily from the United States, these facilities help maintain the stability of Poland’s energy system. In 2025, ORLEN supplied the Polish market with 8.6 billion cubic metres of natural gas it produced, equivalent to approximately 40% of domestic demand.

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