Reuters: Poland's energy security strategy comes at high cost

Poland's deal to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar could saddle eastern Europe's biggest economy with some of the highest prices in the world, a steep bill for a country seeking to wean itself off Russian supplies and restart growth.

Based on current prices, the Qatari imports scheduled to start in 2015 would cost at least a third more than what Russia charges for deliveries to Europe, also creating a potential wild card for a government expected to face new elections.

"Poland will have to live with it and get prepared for minimizing losses," said Andrzej Szczesniak, an independent oil and gas analyst. "It could resell the gas it receives from Qatar on the market, but probably at a lower price."

Szczesniak estimated the Qatari price to be 40-50 percent higher than that charged by Russian gas producer Gazprom . A senior energy executive in Poland suggested the premium was even higher.  MORE