Poland is due to shortly receive another cargo of US crude, after exports to the country began in October last year, Vortexa data shows.

The Suezmax Minerva Georgia set sail from Texas City’s Teppco Seaways crude berth on 4 February and is currently forecast to arrive at Gdansk on 25 February.

Poland’s first import of US crude following the lifting of the US export ban was in late October, when fellow refiner PKN Orlen said it took a delivery of 100,000t of WTI crude aboard the Almi Explorer. It loaded from Houston and arrived at Gdansk, for delivery to its 330,000 b/d Plock refinery via pipeline.

Fellow Polish refiner Grupa Lotos then received its first US crude cargo in early November, after the St Helen loaded with around 600,000 bl of light Domestic Sweet (DSW) crude from Freeport, Texas, according to a company statement at the time.

In early December Lotos said that  bought a second US crude cargo, some 650,000bl of light sweet US WTI Midland. This was likely aboard the vessel Victory Venture, which loaded from Houston and delivered to Gdansk at the end of December.

Subsequently the vessel Frio loaded from Houston and delivered to Gdansk at the end of January, according to Vortexa.

Lotos announced in mid-December that it signed a forward contract for the supply of US crude to its 210,000 b/d Gdansk refinery, under which at least five cargoes will be delivered by sea in 2018.