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.