The state-owned Polish Oil and Gas Company (POGC) is to buy 500 million cubic metres of Norwegian gas annually over five years from 2001.
Agreed with Norway's Gas Negotiating Committee (GFU) on 27 April, the sales contract is due to be signed when Polish premier J Buzek visits Norway in May.
"This is our first important contract with Poland," comments Ottar Rekdal, senior vice president for Natural Gas Market & Supply. He adds that further sales are also possible.
Selling Norwegian gas to Poland will be environmentally beneficial because these supplies replace coal.
The GFU is due to deliver the gas to Emden in north-west Germany, with the POGC responsible for onward transport.
Negotiations between the two sides have been under way since the autumn of 1996. In addition to its permanent members - Statoil, Norsk Hydro and Saga Petroleum - the GFU has included representatives from Total and Elf for these talks.