Following previous announcements concerning intensification of unconventional gas exploration efforts, PKN ORLEN has begun drilling a new well in search of gas in the Lublin region. The new well is located in Nowy Stręczyn in the Cyców commune, in the county of Łęczna.

Stręczyn-OU1 is the fifth well to be drilled by PKN ORLEN in the Province of Lublin, and the third covered by the "Wierzbica" exploration licence. The well’s siting was preceded by a number of geological surveys which allowed PKN ORLEN to establish the unconventional gas potential of the area. At the end of 2012, ORLEN Upstream's employees then held consultation meetings with the residents of the town and commune of Nowy Stręczyn.

The drilling of the Stręczyn-OU1 well is expected to take approximately 45 days, and will be carried out with the use of a MASSARENTI 6000 E rig owned by EXALO DRILLING. The planned depth of the well is over 3,400 metres, from which approximately 300 metres of core samples will be collected. Upon completion of the drilling, the core samples will be thoroughly examined and tested; based on the results of these tests and analyses, ORLEN Upstream will design the next phase of the project.

“The "Wierzbica" licence area is one of the most prospective locations, which is why we are committed to stepping up our efforts in the area. The results of our preliminary geological surveys proved very promising, and so we decided to start a new exploratory well here," commented Wiesław Prugar, CEO of ORLEN Upstream.

This year, PKN ORLEN is planning to drill a number of exploratory wells, and two new locations for vertical drilling are being prepared. Further, in the first half of 2013 the Company intends to perform two hydraulic fracturing treatments in the "Wierzbica" and "Lubartów" licence areas