September 16, 2026 — Gulf Stars Magazine
Poland’s largest oil refiner is moving quickly to secure alternative crude after disruptions to Saudi exports began reaching European buyers, exposing how deeply the Middle East supply shock is now affecting refineries far beyond the Gulf.
ORLEN has been buying crude from the North Sea and looking further afield for replacement barrels after Saudi Arabia suspended some September shipments to Europe following damage to its East-West oil pipeline, according to Reuters, citing five industry sources.
The Polish company has already purchased several spot cargoes, including North Sea grades such as Grane, Johan Sverdrup and Johan Castberg. It has also sought U.S. WTI Midland and Kazakhstan’s CPC Blend, while a further tender covered North Sea or Algerian crude for October and Guyanese crude for November.
For now, ORLEN says its refineries are still receiving crude without disruption.
But the scramble for replacement supplies shows how quickly a regional transport crisis can turn into a European refining problem.
Saudi Arabia’s supply disruption reaches Europe
Saudi Arabia suspended loadings at the Red Sea port of Yanbu after an attack damaged the East-West pipeline, a route that had allowed the kingdom to move crude toward the Red Sea while avoiding the Strait of Hormuz.
Reuters reported that Saudi Aramco had informed European customers that some September cargoes would be cancelled. The company declined to comment on the cancellations.
The disruption has also pushed physical oil prices sharply higher. Reuters reported that benchmark dated Brent in Europe's physical market was around $122 a barrel, while Brent futures were trading near $108 on Tuesday.
That gap matters for refiners. Physical cargoes are the barrels companies need to secure for actual near-term deliveries, rather than simply financial exposure to future oil prices.
ORLEN had already been diversifying
The current rush for alternatives is not happening from a standing start.
Saudi Aramco became ORLEN’s largest crude supplier in 2022 and now provides around 40% of the company's oil, according to Reuters. That relationship helped ORLEN reduce its previous dependence on Russian crude, but it also left the Polish refiner significantly exposed to disruptions in Saudi supply.
ORLEN had already taken steps to widen its supply base.
In August, the company announced a three-year agreement with Norway's Equinor for crude from the Johan Sverdrup field. Depending on demand, deliveries can range from nearly 5 million tonnes to more than 9 million tonnes a year — enough to represent up to one-quarter of ORLEN Group's annual crude demand.
That Norwegian supply is due to begin in September and will serve refineries in Poland, the Czech Republic and Lithuania.
The timing gives ORLEN another source of crude as Saudi shipments come under pressure.
Gdansk and Lithuania feel the pressure
The scale of ORLEN's exposure is particularly visible at the Baltic ports.
Poland's Gdansk port received roughly 160,000 barrels per day of Saudi crude during 2026 through the date covered by Reuters' data, while Lithuania's Butinge terminal received about 63,000 barrels per day.
Together, those flows have made the Baltic a significant destination for Saudi barrels entering Europe.
Shipping disruption is adding another layer of uncertainty. Reuters found that at least four tanker fixtures intended to move crude from Egypt's Sidi Kerir terminal to Gdansk in September had failed.
For European refiners, the challenge is therefore not simply finding oil somewhere in the global market. The crude also has to be available in the right grade, at the right time and through a workable shipping route.
The bigger European energy story
ORLEN's response offers a snapshot of what the current oil disruption could mean for European refiners.
North Sea production, U.S. crude, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Guyana can all provide alternative barrels, but replacing a major supplier is not simply a matter of switching one name for another.
Refiners have to consider crude quality, refinery configuration, freight costs, delivery schedules and available tanker capacity.
ORLEN itself said it actively manages its supply portfolio to keep its refining assets operating and described adjustments to purchase volumes as a normal part of its operations in response to production requirements and changing market conditions.
That is why the company's refineries continuing to receive feedstock without disruption is an important detail.
The immediate issue is being managed. The longer-term question is how expensive and complicated that management becomes if Saudi export disruptions persist.
What happens if the disruption lasts?
Saudi Arabia still has options for moving some crude through the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters reported that Gulf producers have been using so-called “dark shipments” to move oil despite the wider disruption, although overall flows remain far below pre-war levels.
For European buyers, however, uncertainty remains around both supply and transportation.
ORLEN's growing relationship with Norway gives it an additional source of crude, while its ability to buy North Sea, American, Kazakh, Algerian and Guyanese grades provides further flexibility.
But the latest purchases also underline the central problem facing the European oil market: alternative barrels exist, but replacing disrupted Middle Eastern supply quickly is becoming a logistics challenge as much as a pricing one.
If Saudi export problems continue, European refiners could increasingly compete for the same alternative cargoes — putting more pressure on physical crude prices and shipping costs.
For ORLEN, the immediate priority is keeping its refineries running. For the wider European market, the episode is another reminder that diversification can reduce dependence on one supplier, but it cannot remove the impact of a major disruption in global oil routes.
