ORLEN boosts Norwegian gas output by 500 million cubic meters annually, advancing Ormen Lange field development and strengthening Poland’s energy security.
ORLEN Upstream Norway, in partnership with international operators, has successfully completed the third phase of development at the Ormen Lange gas field in the Norwegian Sea. This milestone marks a major step forward in the company’s upstream strategy, boosting production capacity and ensuring long-term energy security for Poland.
The latest phase of the project introduced advanced subsea technology that will significantly enhance gas recovery rates. ORLEN anticipates its share of production from the field to rise by approximately 0.5 billion cubic meters per year at peak output. This will bring the company’s total annual gas production from Ormen Lange to around 1.5 billion cubic meters.
“Ormen Lange is the second-largest gas field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and one of the most critical assets in our upstream portfolio. The completion of this phase not only increases output but also reflects our dedication to environmentally responsible and efficient energy production,” stated Ireneusz Fafara, President of the ORLEN Management Board. He emphasized that the project was executed within the planned timeframe and budget, thanks to strong collaboration between partners and subcontractors.
Discovered in 1997, the Ormen Lange field holds an estimated 330 billion cubic meters of gas reserves. Located about 120 kilometers off the Norwegian coast, it lies at water depths between 850 and 1,000 meters, with reservoirs extending roughly 3,000 meters beneath the seabed. ORLEN Upstream Norway owns a 14% stake in the project, alongside Petoro (36.5%), Equinor Energy (25.4%), Norske Shell (17.8%, operator), and Vår Energi (6.3%).
The third development phase centered on installing four subsea compressors to offset natural pressure decline in the reservoir. Instead of conventional platform-based compressors, the partners opted for seabed installations, which improved safety, reduced costs, and optimized efficiency. The compressors are powered through the onshore grid, primarily running on renewable electricity, and are controlled remotely from the Nyhamna gas terminal, situated 120 kilometers away.
Wieslaw Prugar, ORLEN Management Board Member for Upstream, described Ormen Lange as one of the most technically advanced upstream projects worldwide. He highlighted that ensuring reliable remote control of the compressors across such a long distance had never been done before at this scale.
The new equipment allows Ormen Lange to increase peak daily production by up to 50%. Over the field’s lifetime, total gas recovery will rise by 30–50 billion cubic meters, with ORLEN’s share amounting to 4–7 billion cubic meters. This improvement raises the recovery factor from 75% to 85%, placing Ormen Lange among the most efficiently developed gas fields globally.
Before final installation, the control systems underwent rigorous testing, starting with simulations and followed by trials on a full-scale model comparable to the size of a football field.
Currently, ORLEN Upstream Norway holds interests in 20 producing fields and seven under development. In 2024, the company delivered 40.5 million barrels of oil equivalent, including 4.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas transported to Poland via the Baltic Pipe.
Looking ahead, ORLEN’s strategy targets a 50% increase in its own gas production by 2030, reaching 12 billion cubic meters annually. Of this, 6 billion cubic meters will originate from Norway, aligning with Poland’s projected gas demand of 27 billion cubic meters in the early 2030s. This demand growth is expected to be driven largely by the commissioning of new gas-fired power plants, a cornerstone of Poland’s energy transition.
