PGNiG approves Norway deal and unveils Germany plan

The supervisory board of Polish Oil and Gas (PGNiG) has approved the terms and conditions of the contract signed with five Norwegian companies for the supply of gas to Poland. In an announcement yesterday, the PGNiG press offi ce said that the decision was reached during a board meeting on Wednesday. According to the statement, documents relating to the deal, which was signed in Oslo on September 3, have been submitted to the Treasury, the sole share holder in PGNiG, for approval. The contract will become effective once a nu mber of formal conditions are met, including the receipt of bank guarantees. In a related move, PGNiG chairman Jan Lipko yesterday expressed support for the idea of extending a planned pipeline network by building an additional section from Szczecin in Northwest Poland to Bernau in Germany. "In the fut ure it would be possible to transport to Germany gas imported from Norway," Lipko explained. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 26) M.T.