More gas from Norway – the ORLEN Group starts production from the Tommeliten A field before the date scheduled in the Plan for Development and Operation
The ORLEN Group has commenced production from the Tommeliten A field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. It will provide the Group with an additional 0.5 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually, to be delivered to Poland via the Baltic Pipe pipeline. The production startd nearly six months ahead of the scheduled date, means that gas from Tommeliten A will contribute to Poland's energy security already this heating season.
“Tommeliten A stands as one of the ORLEN Group’s largest investment projects on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, not only due to the size of its resources but also because we are the largest interest holder in the field. The production start will result in a surge by an additional 0.5 billion cubic metres annually in the ORLEN Group’s gas output, bringing us closer to the strategic goal of doubling production in Norway to 6 billion cubic metres a year. The increase in production on the Norwegian Continental Shelf is one of the ORLEN Group's priorities in order to ensure uninterrupted supplies of energy needed by the Polish economy. Thanks to excellent collaboration of our Norwegian company with the other interest holders, we were able to accelerate the production start by nearly six months. This is a great success, showcasing the Group's competence in upstream projects and reinforcing Poland's energy security,” says Daniel Obajtek, ORLEN’s CEO and President of the Management Board.
The ORLEN Group, through its subsidiary PGNiG Upstream Norway AS (PUN), holds an interest of more than 42% in Tommeliten A Unit. The field’s reserves are estimated to range from 120 to 180 million barrels of oil equivalent, with the ORLEN Group holding a share of 50 to 76 million barrels of oil equivalent, including 6–9 billion cubic metres of gas. The hydrocarbons will be extracted from 11 wells and delivered via a heated pipeline to the Production Licence 018 facilities for further processing and transportation. The PL 018 facilities are still one of the most important production hubs on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and have been modified to accommodate Tommeliten A deliveries.
Tommeliten A is one of the nine investment projects initiated by the ORLEN Group over the last two years to step up gas production on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. In line with ORLEN’s Strategy, it is set to rise to 6 billion cubic metres per year by the end of 2030, up from 3.5 billion cubic meters last year. This will contribute to Poland’s increased energy security, as the gas produced in Norway is transported to Poland through the Baltic Pipe. ORLEN has booked more than 8 billion cubic metres annually of the pipeline’s capacity, with plans to utilise as much as possible of this transport route to carry company-produced gas volumes. In 2030, ORLEN may account for as much as 75% of the Baltic Pipe’s capacity booked.
PGNiG Upstream Norway is carrying our production activities in 18 fields and holds interests in 91 licences. At present, its oil and gas reserves on the Norwegian Continental Shelf amount to more than 346 million barrels of oil equivalent. PUN ranks among the top ten companies active in Norway in terms of the size of hydrocarbon resources and oil and gas production, holding the eighth position in terms of gas resources and production, and fifth based on the number of licences.
In 2022, ORLEN Group companies delivered 3.5 billion cubic metres of natural gas from its Norwegian fields, accounting for over 20% of last year’s gas demand in Poland.
The other interest holders in Tommeliten A Unit, apart from PUN, are ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS (operator), TotalEnergies EP Norge AS, Vår Energi ASA, ConocoPhillips (U.K.) Holdings Limited, TotalEnergies E&P UK Limited, and ENI UK Limited.