Poland's desire to cut gas imports from Russia has led to an "understanding" with the United States to work toward a deal to export LNG to its new Baltic Sea terminal, according to Reuters, quoting the country's deputy prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki.
Mr Morawiecki, who is also the minister of economic development and finance, said in an interview that discussions with new U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry brought "a very positive response."
"The word agreement is probably premature. Understanding? Absolutely," Morawiecki told Reuters as he wrapped up a three-day U.S. visit with stops in Washington, Boston and New York.
Poland's LNG terminal in the Baltic Sea was completed in 2015 and opened last year. It has an annual capacity of 5bcm, which the government wants to double in the next few years, Morawiecki said. The country is considering a second floating terminal to further reduce reliance on Russian gas.
Internal sources supply 30% of Poland's gas consumption, with the rest from Russia.
Once procedural issues are settled and viable export capacity is found, "the last element which is to be negotiated is the price," he told Reuters, noting that gas from Russia, Algeria and Qatar is competitive.
"The average price is lower than what we can obtain from Texas, from the United States. A little way to go, but I hope we will find a common denominator," he said. So far no US gas has gone to Poland or northern Europe because of cheaper sources from Russia and Norway.
Poland's contract to buy gas from Russia's state-owned Gazprom expires in 2022. Replacing the roughly 10.2 bcm of Russian gas each year from its annual consumption of 16 bcm is a top priority.