Orlen Secures 16 Oil Cargoes to Mitigate Saudi Supply Disruptions

Polish oil company Orlen announced Wednesday it has secured 16 additional cargoes of crude oil to supply its refineries in Poland, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic. The move is a direct response to anticipated supply disruptions from Saudi Arabia, a key partner, which are expected to persist until November.

Sourcing a Global Solution

Orlen confirmed the new deliveries were contracted from a wide range of producers, including Norway, Great Britain, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and the Americas. The company did not specify the volume of each cargo.

To further secure its supply chain, Orlen issued two new tenders on Wednesday to purchase more crude, according to physical oil traders. One tender seeks North Sea grades, while the other is targeting Brazilian or Guyanese crude oil. These purchases are intended to cover demand for September and October.

The Saudi Disruption

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This scramble for alternative supplies follows recent attacks by Iran-aligned militia on Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure, which took the critical East-West Pipeline offline on September 10. The disruption is particularly significant for Orlen, as state-owned Saudi Aramco has been its largest supplier since 2022, accounting for approximately 40% of its total crude volumes.

A Strategy of Diversification

Orlen's proactive procurement highlights its ongoing strategy to diversify away from single-source dependency, a process that has seen it dramatically reduce its reliance on Russian oil over the past decade. The company noted that its supply needs are also partially met by a recent agreement with Norway’s Equinor, signed in August, which covers 25% of its demand.

In its statement, Orlen reiterated that it actively "monitors the raw materials market situation and maintains a diversified supplier portfolio" to ensure operational continuity.