PKN Orlen, Poland's largest oil and gas company, has ordered an additional five tankers of crude oil from the Saudi-based Aramco company in order to supply its refineries in Poland, the Czech Republic and Lithuania. Orlen CEO Daniel Obajtek said the deal was a precaution against a possible stoppage of oil imports from Russia after it invaded Ukraine last week. Obajtek added that the Aramco supplies would come from North Sea beds.
"The continuous operation of our refineries and the energy security of Poland are our priorities. We are in constant contact with our upstream partners, we have the possibility to ensure supplies from alternative sources," Obajtek said. Currently, Russian oil accounts for around 50 percent of Orlen's oil imports, the remaining 50 percent are supplied by Saudi Arabia, the US and West Africa.