RUMANIAN PETROLEUM INDUSTRY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A008500020002-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 7, 2009
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: November 29, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

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INFORMATION REPORT .1 N FORMATI ON REPORT
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title
18, U.S.C. Seca. 793 and 794, the transmission or- on of-which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
SUBJECT Rumanian Petroleum Industry
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
DATE ACQUIRED
REPORT
DATE DISTR. 29 Nov. 1955
NO. OF PAGES 5
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
This is UNEVALUATED Information
Although the information contained in the
following report is old, it is being .Ito-
warded for whatever background value it
might have.
1. Following nationalization, in 1918, two societies or trusts took
possession of the Rumanian petroleum industry. These were:
a. Sovrompetrol which controlled the old-companies, Concordia,
Columbia, Credit Minier, I.R.D.P., and Redeventao
be Numtenia Petrolifera which controlled Astra Roman, Romana
Americana, Unirea Steana Romana, and Prahova.
On 20 August 195L Sovrompetrol absorbed the Rumanian society,.1 tenia
Petrolifera, and thus had complete control over the Falmanian petroleum
industry.
2. The Rumanian oil fields were divided into trusts or regions. They are
six in number:
a. Trust No. 1 - Region of Campina
Trust No. 2 - Region of Moreni
co Trust No. 3 - Region of Boldesti
d. .Trust No. 1 - Region of Basau/Bacau
e. Trust No. 5 - Targoviste
f. Trust did. 6 - Gaesti/Pitesti
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FORMATION REPORT FORMATION REPORT
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Trust No, 1 (Campina)
T
3. This region comprises the following producing fields: Caapina, I.slea,
Boftana, Bucenari, Vilcanesti, Bordeni, and Cocorasti. The production
in this region represents about 10 percent of the total production in the
Country. The wells produce from about 5 to 20 tons per day.
No notable improvements have been made in the producing fields since. World
The rest of the materials came from
the metallurgical works in Resita, and from the Concordia construction
works in Ploesti. A Dobbs type cracking unit was completed in 1948. The
refinery capacity is 3,500 tons per day (350 tank cars). Until 1951, when
the refinery was closed, production consisted of the following:
light and heavy gasoline
Kerosene and light kerosene
Fuel oils (for ships and locomotives), and greases of various qualities
(marked 031)0
All by:products.(valvoline, tar, etc.)
The Camping construction shops made storage tanks, boilers (heat exchange
equipment probably), and drilling materials (or boring bits).
Trust No., 2 (Moreni)
This region comprises the following producing fields: I+breni, Gura Ocnitei,
Ochiuri, Rasvadu de Jos, Bucsani, Filipestii de Padure, and 84na. This
region represents about 52 percent-of the country's production. The
nuiber of 'active wells is about 850. The future of this region is not
brilliant) the fields are giving signs.of depletion and production is on
a constant decline. The decrease, however, is overcome by new fields.
The wells from the Ours. Ocnitei. field produce oil with a paraffin, semi-
paraffin, and non paraffin base, Of the four "degazolinage" plants at
Guru Ocnitei, three have been dismantled. The other is still in operation.
Cara Ocnitei has an electrical shop responsible for the maintenance,
repair and construction of smalIl electrical equipment for mists No. 2
and No. 5.
7. There are three crude oil storage centers in this region:
a. Along the Cricov River, between I3oreni and Chirdoveni, about two
kilometers south of i}breni. This storage center covers an area of
about one square kilometer and has a capacity of about 100,000 tons
of oil, coming from the fields at Moreni, Bana and F ipestii de
Padure*
b. In the Gura Ocnitei region along the Pascovul River which follows
the valley going from Tigania to Tuicani, at about two kilometers
from Tigania toward Tuicani. This storage center can handle 40,000
tons of crude oil coming from the fields at Gura Ocnitei, Bucsani,
and from Trust No. 5.
War II. The region is considered as being very depleted and with no
significant future. The Campina refinery (Steaua Roman), which was com-
pletely destroyed during the war, was reconstructed.
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At the outskirts of"the village of Tigania, on the Targoviste-Moreni
road (via Gura Ocnitei). This storagecenter can handle 80,000 tons
of crude oil coming from the fields at Ochiuri, Ocnita, Gorgotas
Rasvadu de Jos, Teis, Aninonasa, Suta Ceasa, and Dragomiresti. If the
storage tanks are filled to capacity the crude oil is diverted to the
storage tanks near the PeecovulRiver.
Trust N66_3 (Boldesti)
This region comprises the following producing fields: Boldesti, Scaenis
Pleasa, Plopu, Urlati, Tintea, Liliesti, Baicoi, Aricesti, Darmanesti,
Florestis Iial.aesti, Scaiosi, and Ploesti where the refineries are con-
centrated. Production from this region represents about 20 percent of
the oountryts total. The principal-field is the one at Boldesti. No
new construction has been undertaken in this region since the war.
During the war a crude oil storage center was constructed at Gageni
(seven kilometers north-northwest of Ploesti).. It can handle 80,000tons
fdili f th fildlt
O crue o comngromees of Baicoi, Liiesi, and Aricesti.
That which is produced in the other fields goes directly to the Ploesti
refineries.
The refining capacity of the 3,5 refineries in Rumania is thirteen million
tons per year. Since 20 August 1951, two-thirds of the refineries are
not operating. Those in operation are the Standard-Astra,refinery, Vega,
Americana, and Credit Minier. These refineries have a total maximum
capacity of five million tons per year. The refineries which are no
longer in operation are the following. Unirea, Columbia, Steaua Romans
Xenia (since 191th) Redeventa, Bucuresti, Doicesti, aamnicul Sarat,
Trapsylvania (at Dej), and Petrol Black (at Bucharest).
Trust No. It (Buzau/Bacau)
IN This region comprises the following producing fields: the Semmej (sic)
region (north of Comanesti), Comanesti, Bacau, and the Buzau region
(Beceni, Ceciu, Policiori,_ Berea, and Monteoru). This trust was
developed during the war. Production was about 140 tank cars per day
in 1952. The wells produce an average of four or five tank cars per day.
Some attain seven tank cars per day. The crude oil has a semi-paraffin
base. The installations in this region were modernized in 19118. The
storage. center for the northern part of this region is located at
Zemmes (sic). For the southern part, the oil is stored at Buzau.
11, Geologically, this area does not permit much of a future. The oil
fields are relatively poor. The entire production from this area is
shipped to the USSR.
Trust No. 5 (Targoviste)
12. This region comprises the producing fields situated around the city of
Targoviste, namely: Valea Voevozilor, Aninoasa, Teisu, Do.cesti, Sotanga,
Viforata, Dragomiresti, Suta Seaca, and Rasvadu de Sus.
Aninoasa (old field): Located four kilometers north of T,argovistej
Crude oil with semi-paraffin base. There is a mechanical workshop
at Aninoasa which employs 500 workers and replaces the one at Gura
Ocnitei. In 1951 tests were made to recompress the gas Frith Clark
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compressors. The tests were stopped because of lack of packing
materials, the compressors not being able to develop more than 60
atmospherese
b. Teisu: Located five kilometers north of Targoviste; crude oil of
semi-paraffin base. Exploiting of. this old field, which was stopped
when drillings reached a depth of 19600 meters, was resumed in 1951.
Drillings attained a depth of 1,800 meters in 1952.
co Doicesti (new field): Located seven kilometers north of Targoviste;
oil of very poor quality.
d. Suta Seaca: Located ten kiiometers'south of Targoviste;_ high
paraffin base. The lenticular oil field which extends from east to
west has a length of six kilometers and a width of 600 meters. The
depth of the oil bed is three meters. The gas pressure is 140
atmospheres. The field is 19600 meters below the surface. On 16
February 1951, this field was somewhat depleted following a fire
which started during drillings. The fire, which could not be ex-
tinguished, burned for thirteen months. The Minister of Petroleum at
that time was arrested as a result of that catastrophe. The drilling
was undertaken against the advice of the Rumanian technicians. It
has a "degazolinage" plant.
13. The production of Trust No. 5 is as high as 230 tank cars of which 140
are-from Suta Seasa and Dragomiresti. This entire production is stored
in the centers of Tigania and Pascovul..
Trust No. 6 (Gaesti/Pitesti)
hi. This region comprises the areas of Gaesti, Pitesti and Carbunesti.
Exploration in this region started in the spring of 1952. It is of no
special importance since the old fields are not very rich. Daily pro-
duction at Cobia (seven kilometers from Dragodana)is 30 tank cars, and
that of Carbunesti is 20 tank cars. The oil is shipped by rail to
Ploesti.
15. Other oil fields seem to exist in the Arad region. Indications are that
oil and gas exist there, but after three wildcat drillings, work was
discontinued. The oil field seems to extend from the south to the
northwest.
16. The Rumanian Government is doing its utmost to increase crude oil pro-
duction without bothering with problems of drilling payout nor with the
dangers of depleting the oil fields by working them in an inconsiderate
manner. In certain fields the wells are only some fifteen meters apart.
Some wells produce only 500 liters of crude oil per day* A rational
exploitation of the oil fields will not permit maintaining the present
production schedule.
17. The Rumanian petroleum industry encountered serious difficulties in
stocking up on drilling material. In 19, after the arrival of the
Soviet Army, the Soviets seized 700. railroad cars of piping. Pbssi-
bilities for the manufacturing of pipes are extremely limited, all the
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factories being either partially or totally destroyed during the war.L__]
Until 1951 Rumania- was able
o -ce deliveries or our inch piping. Until ? 1952,
the USSR no a ver any piping to Rumania. To alleviate this
difficulty, a special shop for the `reconditioning ;jai` pipes f 4 to 18 inches )
was installed at Moreni. In this sI p 'the foil owiig'. darn be done:
Reconditioning of pipesg
Cleaning the interior walls of the pipes with Chableaux mechanical equip
ment; and
Pipe rethreading.
The use of rethreaded piping is often the cause ' of accidents.. )at . of the
borings are now done by the rotary. The trepanning tool is less and less
utilized.
18. The USSR takes approximately 60 percent of the Rumanian oil production.
Production from Trust No. 4 is put aside entirely for the USSR. Delivery
from this region is done entirely by a pipeline which had been con-
structed during the war and connects with-the Ploesti pipe-
line at Giurgiu. In 1949/50 a pipeline between Zemmes, Bacau, Buzau,
Galati and Reni was reconstructed. Another pipeline connects Buzau with
Arbanasi/Berca. Ploesti is connected with Buzau by pipeline which,
permits the USSR to take by pipeline to Reni practically all the crude
oil they obtain from Rumania. The diameters of the pipelines are as
follows
Between Zeus and Buzau - 8 inches
Between Buzau and Reni - 12 inches
Between Buzau and Arbanasi - 4 inches
Between Buzau and Ploesti - 8 inches
All of the deliveries to the USSR are in the-form of crude oil, which
explains why such a large number of Rumanian refineries are inoperative.
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