In late December 2019, Polskie Gornictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo (PGNiG) was awarded the 10/2019/L Sierpowo contract in northern Poland. PGNiG is the sole owner of the permit.  The 669 sq km Sierpowo area is located in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie political province, approximately 130 km north of the city of Poznan and 130 km southwest of the city of Gdansk. In a geological sense the tract is straddling the limit of the Pomeranian Trough (Danish-Polish Marginal Trough) and the Pomeranian High, tectonic element of the Northeast German-Polish Basin.  The targets of exploration relate to the presence of the Permian succession, as well as underlying syn-rift units of the Devonian-Carboniferous age.  Background Information  On 29 June 2017, the MoE published the list of 17 blocks for tendering in 2018 (Round 3). The tender catalogue included the areas in the countryâs various geological provinces and the full list was as follows: Blazowa (270 sq km), Braniewo-Milakowo (788 sq km), Bytow (784 sq km), Chelmno (248 sq km), Chodziez (1,172 sq km), Konin (1,034 sq km), Krolowka (201 sq km), Leszno (1,008 sq km), Orle (423 sq km), Pila (949 sq km), Proszowice W (1,104 sq km), Rudnik-Lipiny (480 sq km), Ryki (1,048 sq km), Sierpowo (669 sq km), Wejherowo (710 sq km), Wetlina (221 sq km) and Zabowo (1,000 sq km). In end-2017, two of the areas included in the initial listing - Krolowka (201 sq km), and Zabowo (1,000 sq km) â were removed from the offering, leaving 15 areas for licensing.  News from May 2018 suggested that the MoE was planning to release all already-announced blocks following the closure of the Round 2 (conducted during early May-early August 2018, offering eight blocks). It was understood in early October that the MoE submitted for publishing in the EUOJ tender documents for eight areas earmarked for licensing for prospection, exploration and exploitation.  On 12 December 2018, the tender documents for eight areas - Braniewo-Milakowo, Bytow, Chelmno, Chodziez, Orle, Pila, Sierpowo, Wejherowo - were published in the EU Official Journal (EUOJ) marking the onset of the bidding procedure - Round 3 - for the areas located in the northern part of the country. Interested parties had 121 days, commencing on the day following the date of publication, to submit their offer(s). The MoE closed the tender call on 12 April 2019. Industry sources suggested that at least one offer was submitted to the MoS on the deadline day.  Industry sources indicated that upon the end of the first part of the countryâs 2018 licensing round (12 April 2019), the Ministry of Environment (MoE) received one application for the area Sierpowo. Although the applicant for the Sierpowo area remined undisclosed, it was understood that the claim was filed by PGNiG operating nearby contracts Swidwin-Bialogard and Zlotow-Zabartowo (on trend with the limit of the syn-rift series believed to be present also in the subsurface of the Sierpowo area).
PGNiG secured sole rights to the 11/2019/L Blazowa contract, (270kmÂ²) in the SE Poland and 10/2019/L Sierpowo (669kmÂ²) contract SW of Gdansk in the Pomeranian Trough.