New oil & gas discovery seen as European country’s ‘largest conventional hydrocarbon field’

July 22, 2025, by Melisa Cavcic

Keeping the remaining potential for exploration and recovery in mind, a fresh oil and gas discovery, which was drilled with a Noble Corporation-owned rig in the Baltic Sea, has aided the operator of the Wolin license block off the coast of Poland to infer that this find is one of the largest conventional oil discoveries in Europe in the past decade.

Noble Resolve jack-up rig as it set off from the Esbjerg shipyard, Denmark; Source: Zenith Energy

CEP Central European Petroleum, a subsidiary of Central European Petroleum (CEP), a Canadian exploration and production company based in Calgary, with the majority ownership held by Norwegian investors, has confirmed a significant oil discovery with 33.4 API oil in the 100% owned and operated Wolin East 1 (WE1) well in the Baltic Sea, approximately 6 kilometers offshore from the city of Świnoujście.

Zenith Energy supported the delivery of the well, encompassing a complex rig move, extremely shallow water depth, and challenging drilling conditions in Polish waters. Noble Corporation’s Noble Resolve jack-up rig conducted the drilling operation.

Once the WE1 well, drilled in water 9.5 meters deep, reached a vertical depth of 2,715 meters, tests confirmed a 62-meter hydrocarbon column and excellent reservoir properties for oil and gas production in the Main Dolomite geological formation.

Rolf G. Skaar, CEO of CEP, commented: “This is a historic moment for both Central European Petroleum and Poland’s energy sector. We view this discovery as a foundation for long-term, responsible development of Poland’s offshore resources. Wolin East is more than just a promising field – it represents a shared opportunity to unlock the full geological and energy potential of the Baltic Sea.”

Another first foray taking Noble rig to new location thanks to drilling gig offshore Poland

Project & Tenders

While the Wolin East find is estimated to contain mean recoverable oil, sales gas, and natural gas liquids totaling 200 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe), CEP claims that there is also significant further low-risk exploration, appraisal, and secondary recovery potential within the license in the Main Dolomite and the deeper Rotliegend formation.

Prof. Krzysztof Galos, Undersecretary of State and Chief Geologist, highlighted: “The discovery of the Wolin East hydrocarbon deposit – although it still requires the preparation, submission, and approval of the deposit’s geological documentation – may prove to be one of the breakthrough moments in the history of hydrocarbon exploration in Poland, especially with regard to areas that have so far remained insufficiently explored, such as Poland’s Exclusive Economic Zone in the Baltic Sea.

“If this discovery is ultimately confirmed, the Wolin East deposit could become the largest oil and associated natural gas field discovered in Poland to date. The future development of this site may significantly contribute to strengthening Poland’s energy security and reducing its dependence on external hydrocarbon suppliers, provided that all necessary formal requirements enabling its exploitation are met in advance.”

As a result, the Wolin license is estimated to contain more than 400 mmboe of recoverable hydrocarbon resources. Therefore, the operator describes the oil and gas resources in Wolin East as “the largest conventional hydrocarbon field” yet discovered in Poland, and one of the largest conventional oil discoveries in Europe in the past decade.

Scottish firm wraps up ‘challenging’ job for Canadian oil & gas player’s Baltic Sea drilling ops

Exploration & Production

Entailing an area of 593 square kilometers, the Wolin concession was given to CEP by Poland’s Ministry of Climate and Environment in 2017. The company perceives Wolin as a major natural gas area, with a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility, the Police petrochemical complex, and future LNG fueling of ships expected to not only increase Poland’s natural gas supply but also help decarbonize its economy.

Skaar added: “We are advancing conceptual infrastructure development studies utilizing the latest technology and Wolin East is poised to become a vital component of Poland’s domestic energy portfolio.

“Our focus is on ensuring that development moves forward swiftly in a manner that is technically sound, aligned with the country’s strategic interests, and carried out in close cooperation with national stakeholders.”