Polish Oil and Gas Company has signed ticketing service contracts with 11 energy companies involved in natural gas imports to Poland, effective as of October 1, 2017.

Under the law natural gas importers to Poland are required to keep the mandatory stocks of natural gas in storage facilities located in Poland or countries that are a party to the agreement on the European Economic Area. One way to satisfy this statutory requirement is to sign a so-called ticketing service contract, ordering another entity to keep the mandatory stocks in a storage facility on its behalf. The Minister of Energy decides about the release of the mandatory stock.

Natural gas stocks maintained by PGNiG on behalf of other entities will be stored in Gas Storage Poland facilities, located in Poland. Appropriate storage capacity has already been allocated by PGNiG, and gas stocks have been injected.

“PGNiG keeps the mandatory stocks of natural gas because of its own imports, but it also owns the commercial stocks. Based on the injected commercial stocks we have offered the ticketing service under competitive conditions”, commented Maciej Woźniak, Vice–President of PGNiG Management Board, Trade. “In essence, this means that we make some of the gas we own already injected in the storage facility available to the importers, providing them with comprehensive services in terms of gas stock management and logistics. As a result our counterparties do not have to go through complicated logistic process, and are able to focus on their core business instead”, he added.

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The obligation to keep the mandatory stocks results from the Act of 16 February 2007 on stocks of crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas, the principles of proceeding in circumstances of a threat to the fuel security of the State and disruption on the petroleum market. As per that act of law, mandatory stocks of natural gas must be maintained by entities carrying out a business activity in respect to foreign trade of natural gas and entities bringing in natural gas to Poland for their own use.

Mandatory stocks of natural gas accumulated by the importer can be mobilized by the transmission system operator upon request from the minister competent for energy. Mandatory stocks of natural gas can be mobilized in the event of disruption to the supply of natural gas to the gas system; an unforeseen network damage or failure causing a threat to gas system security; or an unforeseen increase in natural gas consumption. The stocks are mobilized in order to secure uninterrupted gas supplies to industrial and household users.

For more information please contact PGNiG Public Relations: media@pgnig.pl