EL7.AI
CommoditiesMedium•11 November 2026•
4 min read

Orlen Ends Qatar LNG Contract for 1 Million Tonnes a Year

Key Facts

1Orlen terminated the contract on November 10, 2026, after delivery became impossible because of force majeure.
2The contract covered 1 million metric tonnes of LNG a year until 2034.
3The contract remains in force for 60 days after notice of termination.
4The second contract with QatarEnergy is for up to 1 million tonnes a year until 2034.
5The International Energy Agency forecast a 3% decline in global LNG supplies, or nearly 20 billion cubic meters, in 2026.

On November 10, 2026, Orlen, Poland’s largest energy group, terminated one of its two long-term contracts to supply liquefied natural gas from QatarEnergy. The company said the decision followed the supplier’s continued inability to meet its cargo delivery obligations because of force majeure. The terminated contract covered 1 million metric tonnes a year and was due to remain in force until 2034. According to Reuters, the contract remains in force for 60 days after notice of termination. The decision ends a long-term agreement amid disruption to Qatari LNG exports. Reuters described it as the first known termination of a long-term Qatari LNG contract since the war with Iran disrupted exports.

Orlen said QatarEnergy had notified it of force majeure and that it terminated the agreement because the supplier was unable to meet its delivery obligations. QatarEnergy declared force majeure in March, following Iranian drone attacks on LNG facilities at Ras Laffan. This coincided with severe disruption to gas tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Reuters. The contract was signed on June 29, 2009, and shipments under it began in 2016. The agreement set 2034 as its end date, before delivery difficulties led to its early termination. The decision reflects how supply disruptions have extended from delayed shipments to the termination of one of the contracts tied to them.

Terminating the agreement does not remove QatarEnergy from Orlen’s list of long-term suppliers. The Polish company continues to fulfill a second contract with the Qatari supplier, for up to 1 million tonnes of LNG a year until 2034. Pricing under that contract is based on gas price indices, according to an Orlen report cited by Investing.com. The second agreement’s continuation allows Qatari supplies to remain part of the group’s contracted supply mix. Orlen also said its own field production and long-term contracts cover the group’s full needs. The company said the contract termination does not affect its supply security.

Orlen also relies on supply sources outside Qatar, importing gas from the Norwegian continental shelf and the United States, according to Reuters. Company data for the Świnoujście terminal show the range of sources for LNG cargoes it received during 2025. The terminal received 81 cargoes, with a total volume of 5.99 million tonnes, equivalent to about 91.6 terawatt-hours. Of those, 62 cargoes came from the United States and 17 from Qatar. Spot-market purchases accounted for more than one-third of the LNG delivered during the same year. These figures place the terminated contract within a broader portfolio of supplies and purchases that Orlen has assembled from multiple sources.

The contract termination comes as global LNG supplies are declining, according to International Energy Agency estimates. The agency forecast a 3% drop in supplies, or nearly 20 billion cubic meters, during 2026, describing it as the largest annual decline on record. EU gas storage is also entering the 2026-2027 heating season at its lowest levels since 2013. The agency said lower inventories, together with limited storage options in other importing regions, could intensify competition for flexible LNG cargoes in the coming months. This could put upward pressure on spot prices, particularly when demand rises. Spot gas prices at the European TTF hub rose about 70% year on year to an average of nearly $20 per million British thermal units between March and October 2026.

The previous month, Orlen had forecast that Qatari LNG shipments would resume in mid-November, after a months-long halt because of the war, according to Reuters. The termination of one of the two contracts comes before the resumption date the company had forecast, while the second contract remains in place. The announcement alone does not change Orlen’s statement that its production and long-term contracts cover the group’s needs. The company also continues to buy from other sources, including gas from Norway and the United States. The 60-day period after notice remains part of the announced termination arrangement. Orlen’s previously forecast date for shipments to resume is mid-November.