The government's plenipotentiary for strategic energy infrastructure, Deputy Minister of Energy Wojciech Wrochna, assures in an interview with Business Insider that at the moment there is no direct threat to gas or fuel supplies to Poland due to the situation in Iran.
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— We have quite diversified systems and supply directions. We are also secure when it comes to our warehouses and infrastructure. As for oil, we have all the necessary stocks, in accordance with international and European requirements. When it comes to gas, we are after a harsh winter, but the stock level is relatively high for this time of year – indicates.
He also admits that the current situation may increase confusion on the markets, which, of course, if it happens, will also affect Poland. — We are already observing price changes on global wholesale markets. However, Poland – thanks to the fact that it has focused on the diversification of supply sources – is well prepared for such a situation, emphasizes Wojciech Wrochna.
Wojciech Wrochna, deputy minister of infrastructure, government representative for strategic energy infrastructure, is responsible for the infrastructure for oil and gas transmission
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Ministry of Energy / Ministry of Energy
He adds that the government is also in constant contact with our partners in the EU. – Because the EU has a number of mechanisms for mutual support of Member States in crisis situations – he explains.
— We are monitoring the situation on an ongoing basis. At the moment, we have no information that deliveries to Poland could be at risk. However, the longer this conflict lasts, the greater the potential risk to the global system of securing fuel and gas supplies. But today we do not diagnose any significant risks, he concludes.
Today, as he points out, we import much more gas from the USA than from Qatar (about 9 percent of our consumption), so the current situation should not significantly affect our import possibilities. — If the current directions of fuel supplies fail, we will replace them with imports from the USA, South America and other directions – says Wojeciech Wrochna.
The president of Unimot, which deals with fuel imports, Adam Sikorski, draws attention to the key aspect of the current situation: – The positive thing is that after 2022, Poland has large reserves of ready fuels, allowing us to survive for several months, 90 days. At the same time, he estimates that the situation may be tense with regard to ready-made fuels.
As Dr. Hab. tells us. Mariusz Ruszel, prof. Rzeszów University of Technology and president of the Energy Policy Institute. I. Łukasiewicz, liquefied gas supplies come to us mainly from the USA and Qatar. In his opinion, in the face of the war in Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, insurance costs for ships passing through the Middle East can be expected to increase.
— When it comes to fuels, we import oil to a large extent from Norway (approx. 15% of demand – ed.) and also from Saudi Arabia (over 50% – ed.). For now, there are no reports of threats to Saudi supplies, although the stock market shows increases in oil and gas prices. This will affect the price. At the moment, however, there is no visible threat to the stability of supply, he points out.
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Polish import of crude oil
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Michał Czernek / PAP / photos
Orlen reassures us: at this stage we do not identify any threats
“At this stage, we do not identify any threats to the continuity of fuel supplies or to the functioning of the production and logistics infrastructure of the Orlen group, because “Orlen has not and does not import crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz.” – said the company in response to our questions. He brings it across the Red Sea.
Orlen assures that the raw material supplied to its refinery comes from many parts of the world, including: from the Mediterranean basin, North and West Africa, Scandinavia, both Americas and from domestic extraction.
A significant part of the demand is covered by long-term contracts with companies such as Aramco and Equinor, and the remaining volumes are supplemented by spot purchases. “This supply structure increases operational flexibility and limits the impact of local geopolitical tensions on the company's operations,” say Orlen's representatives.
As they add, possible changes in oil prices on global markets do not automatically or immediately translate into fuel prices at stations.
“Their level is influenced by many factors, including quotations of finished fuel products, exchange rates, production and logistics costs, fiscal burdens and the competitive situation on the domestic market. Therefore, short-term fluctuations in raw material prices do not have to be directly reflected in retail prices,” we read in the company's response.
When it comes to LNG, import is only one way to supply Poland with gas. Last year, Orlen's main source of raw material was its own extraction, mainly in Poland and Norway (from where it is sent to the country via the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline). Own production provided almost half of the gas supplied by Orlen to the domestic market.
Whereas LNG supplies to Świnoujście (throughput 8.3 billion cubic meters per year) accounted for just over 35 percent. — here, 60 out of 81 deliveries in 2025 came from the USA.
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Additionally, in addition to gas obtained under long-term contracts (via pipelines or in liquefied form), Orlen has the option of supplementing supplies on the spot market. As part of spot transactions, the company has already imported liquefied gas from, among others, from Norway, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago.
“Orlen is prepared for various scenarios of the development of the international situation, including possible changes in the directions of raw material supplies. We currently do not anticipate interruptions, downtime or declines in fuel production at the Orlen Group refineries due to tensions in the Middle East region. – conclude the company's representatives.
Gaz-System reports that gas storage facilities are half full
Gaz-System, the operator of the gas transmission system in Poland, also responds to us by pointing out that the security of gas supplies to Poland remains fully secured.
“Poland has an extensive natural gas import and storage infrastructure. The capacity of cross-border connections, including the LNG Terminal in Świnoujście, significantly exceeds domestic demand and amounts (not including the connection with Ukraine) to as much as 37.3 billion cubic meters per year, compared to the domestic demand of approximately 20 billion cubic meters per year,” Gaz-System calculates.
As the company's press office notes, Poland can therefore not only freely ensure that its entire domestic demand is covered by supplies from various directions abroad, but also export gas to neighboring countries..
In addition to cross-border connections, Poland also has additional security in the form of its own natural gas production and storage facilities, which ensure that mandatory stocks of this raw material are maintained in accordance with the regulations.
In addition to the possibility of receiving LNG supplies through the Terminal in Świnoujście, Poland has pipeline connections with all its neighbors from the European Union and can import gas through these routes. Baltic Pipe gas pipeline with a capacity of 10 billion cubic meters. gas per year and provides direct access to natural gas sources on the Norwegian Shelf.
When asked what the current status of gas storage facilities in Poland is, Gaz-System replies: “The filling of domestic natural gas storage facilities remains at approximately 50%.which is a good result considering the seasonal nature of warehouse operation and the fact that we are at the end of the heating season.
The company adds that the fill level of warehouses in Poland is one of the highest in Europe. “For comparison, the average for all EU countries is about 30 percent.” – we read.
Moreover, as spring approaches and temperatures rise, the demand for natural gas gradually decreases. “From the point of view of available capacity at entry points to the system (far exceeding current levels of consumer demand), this means that continuity of gas supplies to customers will remain ensured” – emphasizes Gaz-System.
Sea transport of crude oil
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Michał Czernek, Adam Ziemienowicz / PAP/photos
PERN, a State Treasury company responsible for the transmission and storage of fuels, also gives us peace of mind. “The system in Poland operates stably and deliveries are carried out according to schedule,” he points out.
As we read further, the infrastructure managed by PERN provides flexibility in the area of receiving, storing and distributing crude oil, which allows maintaining stability of supplies and continuity of system operation. Warehouse bases and the pipeline network operate without disruptions. Naftoport remains fully operational and is prepared to receive oil from any direction in the world.
However, when asked what the current level of filling of oil storage facilities in Poland is, PERN does not provide a specific answer: “The filling levels of warehouses depend on the delivery and collection schedules carried out by PERN's customers and the current operation of the system. These values are of an operational nature and change along with the logistics cycle. Currently, all operations are running smoothly and according to plan, without the risk of disruptions to the continuity of the refinery's operation.”
Unimot points to the possibility of an increase in the prices of ready-made fuels
Adam Sikorski, the president of the private Unimot, a company dealing in import and wholesale trade in fuels, spoke on Monday during a press briefing about the impact the current situation may have on fuel prices.
He pointed out that the price of finished fuels had increased much more than that of crude oil. In his opinion, $80 per barrel of oil is not a big shock, but reaching the level of $100-120 per barrel would be.
According to Sikorski, the first reactions of the markets indicate that ready-made fuels will have bigger problems than with crude oil, which will translate into prices at gas stations. As he argued, this is due to problems in the Strait of Hormuz, possible shutdowns of refineries in the Middle East, as well as planned shutdowns at refineries in Poland and Lithuania. The largest Polish refinery in Płock, as well as the refinery in Mažeikiai, as he said, are planning maintenance downtime.
He indicated that the price of diesel oil on the London Stock Exchange exceeded $900. per ton, when recently it was USD 700, and before the outbreak of the war in Iran – USD 800 – We see that in the case of diesel oil this increase is twice as great as the increase in the price of crude oil – he emphasized.
In his opinion, this is the result of the fact that alternative oil producers to the Middle Eastern countries include, for example, Libya, Nigeria, the USA and Canada, which can increase production. However, the problem lies in the refinery's ability to process this raw material. As he emphasized, there are a limited number of refineries in the world, recently they have been built mainly in the Middle East, while both in the USA and in Europe this area is underinvested.
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As he emphasized, the Middle East has been crucial for the supply of ready-made fuels to Europe for a long time, and especially since the introduction of sanctions on petroleum products from Russia.
– In the worst case scenario, if the refining capacity is somehow destroyed by missile attacks and refinery operations are stopped, this may result in the finished fuel market being in a difficult situation – emphasized the president of Unimot.
