In Poland the importance of petroleum in the balance of the exploitation of primary energy has been considerably increasing. It needs to be emphasized that the present petroleum demand can only be regulated in a limited degree as it results from the long-term changes in the environment. Moreover, political and economic limitations which are more frequently apparent in and outside Poland are also a barrier to the proper functioning of the petroleum sector. As a consequence, the development of the market disadvantageous for the consumers triggers the questions concerning the significance of the particular factors in shaping the demand on petroleum at present and in the future. Therefore, the aim of this article is to analyze the changes in the domestic environment and to evaluate their influence upon the level of demand on petroleum in Poland in the years 1995-2006, as well as to determine their significance up to the year 2015. The stages of the research are: the analysis of the environment, the evaluation of the environment, the prognosis of the opportunities and threats.