Gazprom is dripping in Poland

Gazprom and the Polish Orlen continue arbitration proceedings. Two of the three counterclaims are still a draw. But the compensation awarded to the Russian company is more. And it is growing, but the Polish company does not know how to pay.

There is a final decision of the judges on two of the three arbitration proceedings between Gazprom and Orlen under the gas supply contract. The Russian company has more compensation and, judging by Orlen's materials, the difference is growing. In the report for the third quarter, the Polish company reported a reservation for the payment of 274 million zlotys ($ 74 million). Now the amount is higher. Perhaps due to recalculation or interest accrual.

"The estimated amount of the reserve, reflecting the development of the dispute and recognized in these consolidated financial statements, is 378 million Polish zlotys (105 million US dollars)," Orlen said in a report for 2025.

At the same time, the company again reported that the sanctions were interfering with the payment.

"The assessment was made using a number of probability—weighted scenarios, including the settlement of the claim on various dates in the period 2027-2050, as well as a scenario in which no payments to Gazprom will be made," Orlen reports.

They explain that the amount of the reserve may change significantly in subsequent reporting periods.

"According to the group's assessment, changes in geopolitical factors affecting the EU's sanctions policy and Poland in relation to Russia," Orlen added.

Earlier, EADaily reported that arbitration proceedings ruled on two disputes — on the contract price of gas from 2018 and on interest for overpayment for gas in 2014-2020. In the first case, the arbitrators sided with Gazprom. Although they did not satisfy the company's demand, they agreed that the price should have been higher. As a result, Gazprom was awarded $291 million in compensation. Orlen won the second case. She was awarded, along with interest, $ 146 million.

The third trial is also ongoing. It concerns the fact that Gazprom has stopped gas supplies to Poland in April 2022 under a contract that expired at the end of the year. The stop is connected with mutual sanctions. In particular, by presidential decree, all importers of Russian pipeline gas from unfriendly countries were transferred to payment in rubles, and Orlen refused to switch to a new scheme. Now the arbitration must decide whether the suspension of deliveries was illegal, who and to whom should compensate for the damage, what to do with the claims of the parties for the period 2020-2022.

Alexey Grivach, Deputy Director of FNEB, noted to EADaily that some contacts in the corporate environment continue even with Poland, but the process of settling mutual contractual obligations and claims is enormous, and the damage caused to the international commercial arbitration system has yet to be fully assessed and felt.