Mystery surrounds new PGNiG, ZA Pulawy gas supplier

Mystery surrounds a deal reportedly signed by Sinclair Technologies Company for supplying gas to Polish Oil and Gas (PGNiG). According to the Puls Bizne su daily, Sinclair is also courting nitrates producer ZA Pulawy. However, a report by Dun & Bradstreet Intelligence Company suggests that no such firm i s registered under the US address officially given by Sinclair. Piotr Woznia k, the PGNiG director responsible for trade agreements, explained that under the contract, which was signed in his absence, PGNiG would be receiving gas from its existing source in Ukraine, only the supplier would be different. Z A Pulawy, despite commissioning the Dun & Bradstreet report, has not been pu t off by its findings, and has gone ahead with the signing of a contract wit h the ghost entity for the delivery of 250 million cubic meters of natural g as before the end of this year. However, the ZA Pulawy management insist tha t no deal with Sinclair has yet been finalized. "We check the credibility of all our clients. In our opinion this company exists. We haven't any binding contract, though," said Marek Pochwalski, a member of the ZA Pulawy board. Z A Pulawy said it would not disclose the details of its agreement with Sincla ir, citing regulations protecting business confidentiality. (Puls Biznesu, p . 9) J.K.