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It could be one of the most significant resource discoveries in Poland’s history: about six kilometres from the Polish port city Świnoujście, and thus within sight of the German holiday island of Usedom, lies the Wolin East oilfield.
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Initial estimates suggest the newly discovered field contains around 22 million tonnes of crude oil and some five billion cubic metres of commercially recoverable natural gas.
The discovery stems from exploratory drilling carried out by Canadian company Central European Petroleum (CEP) in July last year at a depth of more than 2,500 metres.
‘Historic moment’
The Canadian company’s chief executive, Rolf G. Skaar, has described the discovery of Wolin East as a “historic moment” for the company and for Poland’s energy sector.
The find has also been seen in Poland as a major opportunity for domestic energy supplies. According to Poland’s chief geologist, Krzysztof Galos, speaking in July 2025, regular production could begin in 2028 or 2029 at the earliest.
Over several years, the deposit could cover around four to five percent of Poland’s annual oil demand. Wolin East could therefore make an important contribution to reducing Poland’s dependence on energy imports and strengthening the country’s security of supply.
In Świnoujście, however, concern is growing about tourism and the environment: authorities and residents are insisting that the region’s appeal be preserved and nature protected.
German campaign alliance against oil extraction in the Baltic Sea
The prospect of extracting fossil fuels is meeting particularly strong resistance from Germany. The non-governmental organisation BUND (German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation) in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has joined forces with environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), WWF and the citizens’ initiative Lebensraum Vorpommern in an alliance calling for a general ban on new oil and gas projects in the Baltic Sea.
According to the organisers, some 88,000 signatures had been collected by the end of July this year. The petition is due to be submitted to the European Commission in Brussels in September.
The organisations warn of potential damage to the Baltic’s fragile ecosystem, including underwater noise, pollutant discharges and the risk of an oil spill in protected marine areas.
State election outcome could influence conflict
DUH’s federal managing director, Sascha Müller-Kraenner, is calling for joint action by the federal government, the state and the EU to protect the Bay of Pomerania and the Baltic Sea as a whole:
“So far, the exploratory well has not led to an authorised production project, and that must remain the case. The federal government, the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state government and the European Union must jointly send a clear message: there must be no new oil and gas extraction directly off Usedom.
Just weeks before the state election, the political parties in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania must also take a clear position and explain how they intend to protect the coast from a new fossil industrial project.”
The upcoming state election could play a decisive role in shaping how the conflict develops between Poland’s energy interests and German environmental organisations’ calls for stronger protection for the Baltic Sea.
