Orlen tapping into lower-carbon oil from major Norwegian field

September 1, 2025, by Dragana Nikše

Poland’s Orlen has signed a contract with Norway’s state-owned energy giant Equinor for the supply of crude oil from a field the latter operates on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).

Johan Sverdrup field in the North Sea; Source: Arne Reidar Mortensen/Equinor

Orlen expects the contracted volume of over 6 million tonnes of crude oil coming from the Johan Sverdrup field to cover about 15% of its group’s annual oil demand. Earlier this year, the duo teamed up to explore opportunities for carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in Poland.

Deliveries from the Norwegian port of Mongstad under the one-year contract – Orlen’s first of its kind with Equinor – are set to start in September. Additionally, the Polish player has the possibility to direct shipments to refineries in Poland, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic.

Irene Rummelhoff, EVP Marketing, Midstream and Processing at Equinor, stated: „I am very pleased that we are now expanding our relationship with ORLEN to also include supplies of crude oil from the Johan Sverdrup field in Norway. We are building on a long-term energy partnership with ORLEN which already includes production of oil and gas on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, a 10-year agreement for supplies of natural gas to Poland and collaboration on low carbon solutions like carbon capture and storage.”

In addition to North Sea volumes, Orlen’s refineries process feedstock from the Middle East and Persian Gulf, Africa, and both Americas. In the first six months of 2025, the company’s facilities processed 9.8 million tonnes of crude oil, which is said to be 5% more than in the same period last year.

“We are strengthening the energy security of Poland and the region as a whole. We have fully eliminated Russian crude from all our refineries, which was made possible through effective diversification of supply sources. The next step in this process is the first long-term contract with Equinor, giving us access to top-quality crude with high production efficiency,” noted Ireneusz Fąfara, CEO and President of the ORLEN Management Board.

Covering an area of 200 square kilometers, the Johan Sverdrup field is located in the central part of the North Sea, 160 kilometers west of Stavanger, at a water depth of 110–120 meters. Equinor is its operator and 42.62% interest holder, with partners Aker BP (31.6%), Petoro (17.36%), and TotalEnergies EP Norge (8.44%).

This is the third-largest field on the NCS, with expected resources of 2.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent. It accounts for roughly a third of Norway’s oil production.

Discovered in 2010, the field has an estimated 50-year lifespan. Since the Norwegian giant says the field’s CO2 emissions are 80–90% lower than the global average, it ranks among the world’s most carbon-efficient oil fields.

After bringing the Johan Sverdrup Phase 1 on stream in October 2019, and starting production at Phase 2 in December 2022, the Norwegian giant reached a final investment decision (FID) for the field’s Phase 3 development earlier this summer.

Giant North Sea oil field’s $1.3 billion third chapter is a go

Exploration & Production

Alongside securing the supply deal with Orlen, Equinor recently had one hit and one miss when it comes to exploration drilling. While its Smørbukk Midt prospect in the Norwegian Sea yielded hydrocarbons, the operator had less luck at the Deimos license in the Barents Sea.