ORLEN and Naftogaz to study three LNG cargoes for early 2027 under two new agreements

A repeat of the winter LNG model

The documents were signed at the first Carpathian Eight summit, a new regional format launched on 18 September in western Ukraine. Under the first agreement, ORLEN and Naftogaz will examine the possibility of three LNG cargoes in the first quarter of 2027. ORLEN presents the additional volumes as part of the growth of its LNG trading business and of its role as a supplier in the region.

At this stage the deal is an assessment rather than a contract. The companies have not disclosed volumes, the origin of the gas or the terminals through which it would be delivered.

– Cooperation with Ukraine is an important element of ORLEN's commitment to energy security in Central and Eastern Europe. Strengthening the partnership with Naftogaz helps create new opportunities to diversify supplies and increase the resilience of the region's energy system. We see this cooperation as a lasting partnership that serves the interests of both companies – said Ireneusz Fąfara, CEO of ORLEN.

Ships, terminals and trading

The maritime side of the relationship is less visible than the signing ceremonies but determines whether it works. Under last year's arrangement ORLEN was responsible for sourcing the cargoes in the United States, carrying them on its own LNG carrier fleet and regasifying them at terminals where it holds reserved capacity, after which the gas reached Naftogaz through the transmission network.

The contract for the three cargoes covering the first quarter of 2026, more than 300 million cubic metres of gas, was finalised in November 2025, days after a letter of intent was signed at the P-TEC conference in Athens. Earlier in 2025, ORLEN had supplied around 600 million cubic metres of gas from US LNG to Ukraine. If the new assessment ends the same way, winter deliveries to Ukraine will become a regular part of ORLEN's seasonal LNG trading in the Baltic.

Sergii Fedorenko, acting CEO of Naftogaz, set out why the supplies matter on the Ukrainian side.

– ORLEN is an important strategic partner of Naftogaz. Given the ongoing Russian attacks on our domestic production facilities, it is particularly important for us to secure reliable sources of gas and diversified supply routes – said Sergii Fedorenko.

Fuels, crude and road tankers

The second memorandum covers potential cooperation between ORLEN and Ukrnafta, the Naftogaz Group company that runs a network of filling stations in Ukraine, on supplies of oil products to the Ukrainian market. The parties will also look at deliveries of Ukrainian crude oil for processing at refineries in Central Europe.

The cooperation may additionally include the transfer of used road tankers to Ukrnafta. With Ukraine's fuel infrastructure under repeated attack, that element has practical as well as commercial value.

A new regional format

The Carpathian Eight grouping, launched by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, brings together Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary and the European Union. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk attended the inaugural meeting, which named energy and logistics cooperation, cross-border trade and security among its priorities.

The ORLEN and Naftogaz agreements are among the first concrete outcomes signed within the format. Until now the companies' cooperation has centred on gas from US LNG and on trading in Central and Eastern Europe, and the new documents extend it to fuels and crude oil.