Central European Petroleum (CEP) has made a significant oil discovery in the 100% owned and operated Wolin East 1 well, located in the Baltic Sea offshore Poland, the company has announced.
The WE1 well was drilled using a jackup rig in waters 9.5 m deep and reached a vertical depth of 2715 m. Tests confirmed a 62-m hydrocarbon column and excellent reservoir properties for oil and gas production in the Main Dolomite geological formation.
The Wolin East oil discovery is estimated to contain mean recoverable oil, sales gas and natural gas liquids totaling 200 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe).
“There is also significant further low-risk exploration, appraisal and secondary recovery potential within the license in the Main Dolomite as well as in the deeper Rotliegend formation,” CEP stated in a news release announcing the discovery. “With these opportunities included, the Wolin license in total is estimated to contain more than 400 MMboe of recoverable hydrocarbon resources.”
CEP estimates the oil and gas resources in Wolin East constitutes the largest conventional hydrocarbon field yet discovered in Poland, and one of the largest conventional oil discoveries in Europe in the past decade.
“This is a historic moment for both Central European Petroleum and Poland’s energy sector,” remarked Rolf G. Skaar, CEO of CEP. “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.”
“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,” added Undersecretary of State and Chief Geologist Prof. Krzysztof Galos. “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.”
“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,” Skaar added.
