Gas chief sacked following Yamal 2 memorandum

Grazyna Piotrowska-Oliwa, chairman of PGNiG. Photo: PAP/Rafal Guz

Grazyna Piotrowska-Oliwa, chairman of PGNiG, follows in the footsteps of Treasury Minister Mikolaj Budzanowski, who was relieved of his post for not knowing that a 'memorandum of understanding' was due to be signed on the pipeline in early April.

The possible second branch of the Yamal natural gas pipeline would link Russia with Poland, Slovakia and Hungary.

The memorandum between Russian state company Gazprom and EuRoPol Gaz (48 percent of which is owned by Gazprom, and 48 percent by Poland's state-owned PGNiG) approved a prospective six-month study that would look into the feasibility of the project.

However, Prime Minister Donald Tusk was not informed about the matter.

The decision about Piotrowska-Oliwa's dismissal was taken by the Supervisory Board of PGNiG.

“I do not treat today's decision about my dismissal as an assessment of the merits of my work in the post of chairman of the board of PGNiG,” she wrote in a statement sent to the Polish Press Agency (PAP).

Likewise she affirmed that the signing of the Yamal 2 memorandum “was conducted in accordance with the law and with full respect for the obligations of the shareholders of a public company, as is confirmed by assessments submitted to the board by eminent legal authorities.”

It has also been noted that PGNiG had proved awkward about the government's push to exploit Poland's shale gas resources.

Although PGNiG was charged with leading the programme, the company had complained that the project could lead to the closure of some of its natural gas fields. (nh)

Source: PAP, bne.eu