Orlen's gas import plans could speed up liberalization

Oil giant PKN Orlen, which, in addition to being the country’s largest company is also one of the country's biggest gas consumers, plans, in conjunction with ConocoPhilips, to import 100 million cubic meters of gas this year. In the future, Orlen's management wants to increase its supply considerably, and this may well have a significant bearing on the liberalization of the country's gas market, where 13 billion cubic meters of gas is sold annually. However, Orlen and its U.S. partner will first have to gain permission to import the gas from Polish Oil and Gas (PGNiG) and from the transport system operator (OSP), which is to begin activity in July. "If the technical conditions allow us to do so, we will certainly give Orlen permission," said Orest Nazaruk, the OSP's vice-president. (Puls Biznesu, p. 6) A.F.