German officials up in arms over oil, gas deposit found in Poland

Local politicians in north-eastern Germany were up in arms on Tuesday, after news broke that a major oil and gas deposit has been discovered in neighbouring Poland, with some experts also cautioning against extraction.

The find off the Polish Baltic coast by Canadian company Central European Petroleum (CEP) was hailed as a possible "breakthrough moment" in Poland, but officials across the border in Germany were quick to point out that extracting fossil fuels should not take priority in times of climate change.

"Our future does not lie in oil from the Baltic Sea, but in energy from the sun, wind and biomass," said Till Backhaus, environment minister of the coastal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which borders Poland.

"The project stands for a backward-looking industrial policy in terms of climate policy, which is contrary to the interests of the environment and tourism on the German side," he added.

Major breakthrough?

The Wolin East offshore oil field discovered by CEP is said to be located around 6 kilometres from the port city of Świnoujście on the fringes of north-western Poland. Parts of the city are located on the island of Usedom, which is divided between Germany and Poland.

According to the results of test drilling, the recoverable reserves of crude oil and natural gas are estimated at 200 million barrels of oil equivalent.

CEP said the Wolin East site is estimated to represent "the largest conventional hydrocarbon field" ever discovered in Poland and "one of the largest conventional oil discoveries in Europe in the past decade."

If the deposit is confirmed, this "may prove to be one of the breakthrough moments in the history of hydrocarbon exploration in Poland," said the country's chief national geologist Krzysztof Galos.

"The future development of this site may significantly contribute to strengthening Poland's energy security and reducing its dependence on external hydrocarbon suppliers," he told news agency PAP.

Mining could begin in three to four years, with the field estimated to be able to cover 4% to 5% of Poland's annual oil demand for several years, according to Galos.

CEP has held a licence for exploration off the western Polish coast since 2017.

Officials and experts sound alarm

Officials in the German part of Usedom were less euphoric, however, with the mayor of the town of Heringsdorf noting the area's status as a nature conservation area.

"We are a spa and holiday resort. We do everything we can to keep our beaches, our town and the sea clean," said Laura Isabelle Marisken. "Heavy industrial gas and oil extraction right on our doorstep, it's obvious that this is a massive intrusion into our natural environment."

The German Institute for Economic Research also advised against exploiting the oil field, noting not only possible considerable negative consequences for tourism, but also the risk of cross-border pollution caused by an accident.

"In addition, the promotion of fossil fuels thwarts climate protection goals," said Claudia Kemfert, head of the institute's Energy, Transport and Environment Department. "The costs and benefits [of the project] are therefore disproportionate."