San Leon Announces First Commercial Gas Discovery in Poland

Europe’s leading shale gas company by acreage San Leon Energy announced its first commercial gas discovery in Poland, saying that the field can be developed as a “conventional” resource.

“This is the well we have been waiting for - a significant gas discovery in one of the highest-priced gas markets in Europe. The Rawicz field has existing gas infrastructure nearby and a development feasibility project has already been completed” Oisin Fanning, San Leon Executive Chairman, said in a note released on Wednesday.

The Ireland-headquartered company claimed that the discovery is a first step to decreasing Poland’s dependence on gas imports, adding that the well test results for the appraisal well in south-western Poland are “highly positive.”

‘The company anticipates that an additional three to five wells will be drilled to develop the field, with the second well on Rawicz already in planning and being at no up-front cost to the company’ reads the statement, explaining that preliminary evaluations suggest a permeability to gas of around 2mD.

Palomar Natural Resources is the operator. It is targeting the previously-discovered Rawicz gas accumulation in the Permian Rotliegendes sandstones.

Last week, San Leon Energy said that it would not proceed with works on its 3-well programme on the Bielsko-Biała concession in Karpaty. It also decided that, in the near-term, it will not to drill the Niwiska well, on Block 243 in the Permian Basin.

In January, Chevron announced to withdraw from Polish shale works, joining Exxon Mobil, Marathon, ENI and Total.