THE SHELL LEAKS FILES: 14 OCTOBER 2026
SLF-2007-087
The Sakhalin Papers LXXVII: Poland Strikes Back — Shell, Gazprom and the PLN 29 Billion Nord Stream 2 Penalty That Collapsed in Court
On 7 October 2020, Poland’s competition authority announced an extraordinary decision against Gazprom and five Western European energy companies, including Royal Dutch Shell. Gazprom was fined more than 29 billion Polish zlotys, while Shell received a separate penalty exceeding PLN 30 million. The regulator also ordered the companies to terminate their agreements financing Nord Stream 2. Poland argued that the companies had effectively recreated a prohibited joint venture through lending arrangements. The companies disagreed and appealed. In November 2022, a Polish court overturned the decision. In October 2023, an appellate court upheld its annulment. The documentary record reveals a remarkable confrontation between European energy strategy, competition law and corporate finance — and demonstrates why regulatory allegations must never be confused with final judicial findings.
Years after the Groningen gas crisis became a national scandal, residents are still waiting for repairs, reinforcement and certainty — and regional authorities are warning that another round of bureaucracy could make matters worse.
Shell doubles down on Canada: LNG Canada Phase 2 turns Kitimat into a 28-million-tonne export hub
