Hydrocarbon
Discoveries in Western Poland—Future in the
Permian?
Dobrova, Helena, Piotr Gawenda, Etienne Kolly, IHS Energy, Geneva,
Switzerland
Implementation of the latest techniques in seismic
interpretation and a new interpretation of the Permian successions (e.g. Pikulski & Pikulska, 2004)
resulted in the discovery of several new hydrocarbon reservoirs in western Poland
in recent years, upgrading significantly the country’s hydrocarbon reserves.
New discoveries made in the Fore-Sudetic Monocline
since 2000 added the reserves exceeding 55 MMbbl of
oil, 8 MMbbl of condensate and 1.0 Tcf of natural gas, thus turning the basin into Poland’s
most prolific area. The discoveries made in the Upper Permian Zechstein succession alone (jointly Basal Limestone and
Main Dolomite) account for bulk of the new additions, making up all of the oil
and condensate and approximately 60% of the gas reserves, the rest being found
in the Carboniferous and the Lower Permian series. Preliminary results of
activities during 2004 allow us to believe that the successful trend is likely
to continue.
The first big success in the western Poland region was the large Buszewo-Mostno-Barnowko oil and gas discovery made in
1993-1994 in the barrier and lagoonal zones of the Zechstein Main Dolomite. This find added recoverable
reserves of some 75 MMbbl of oil and 350 Bcf.
The Grotow, Lubiatow and Miedzychod oil and gas discoveries in the Main Dolomite
were the biggest finds of the 2000-2004 period; Lubiatow
and Grotow added recoverable reserves of some 57 MMbbl of oil, Miedzychod almost 9
MMbbl of condensate, and the three fields together
provided for some 660 Bcf of recoverable reserves of
natural gas. Domestic operator PGNiG swiftly
progressed to the appraisal phase. Significant gas discoveries during this
period were Kleka East, Paproc
East, Radnica and Zaniemysl,
adding recoverable reserves of natural gas from the Rotliegend
of some 76 Bcf.
Print this page