Poland’s Orlen, in partnership with Norway’s Equinor, has officially commenced hydrocarbon extraction from the Eirin field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. This newly operational site is expected to yield over 250 million cubic meters of gas annually. The field is situated in the North Sea, roughly 250 kilometers west of Stavanger.The estimated total reserves of Eirin stand at 27.6 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe), which includes 3 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Orlen Upstream Norway holds a 41.3% stake in the project, granting the company access to nearly 11.5 million boe, comprising over 1.2 billion m3 of gas. Equinor, holding the remaining shares, acts as the license operator. Following the development plan approved in January 2024, the Eirin production well was successfully tied back to the nearby Gina Krog platform, another asset in which Orlen is a stakeholder.
Cost Efficiency and Green Energy
Utilizing existing infrastructure not only cuts investment costs and reduces project timelines but also unlocks additional gas volumes. Operator forecasts indicate that tying back Eirin will extend the productive life of the Gina Krog field by seven years. Crucially, the Eirin operation benefits from a highly eco-friendly power supply. Since 2023, the Gina Krog platform has been electrified via a subsea cable connected to the mainland grid, where about 98% of the power is generated from renewable sources (hydroelectric and wind). Consequently, the carbon footprint of production at Eirin is a mere 3 kg of CO2 per boe. This is remarkably lower than the Norwegian shelf average (6.7 kg) and the global average (approximately 16 kg).
Transmission to Poland
Gas extracted from both Eirin and Gina Krog is routed to the Sleipner platform complex—another venture involving Orlen. After being processed to meet commercial specifications, the gas travels to the Nybro terminal, bridging the Norwegian and Danish grids. From there, it is transported directly to Poland via the Baltic Pipe. Looking ahead, Orlen Upstream Norway and Equinor plan to conduct further exploration in the vicinity, anticipating additional hydrocarbon reserves.
