RUMANIAN INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R011400050003-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 1, 2006
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: April 7, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2006/08/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457R011400050003-1 L f)
FOAIM $0. .~.._~. .~,...
FEB 1952 51-4AA
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
CLASSIFICATION SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
SECURITY INFORMATION
INFORMATION REPORT REPORT NO.
CD NO.
COUNTRY Rumania
25X1 SUBJECT Rumanian Industrial Activities
DATE DISTR. 7 April 1952
NO. OF PAGES 4
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
DO NOT CIRCULATE
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROHIBITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM 15 PROHIBITED.
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. Rumania's awn iron ore has never been sufficient for the needs of the
Rumanian iron industry. Ore was formerly imported from Yugoslavia, and
more recently from the USSR. Since the Soviets were reluctant to ex-
port iron ore (they did not have enough for their own industry), Rumania
in 1950-1951 began to follow the example of Hungary and to import iron ore
from Iran. Iranian ores were of poor quality and have never been quoted
on the world market. Ore was loaded at Port Said, from which the Hun-
garian vessels TISZA, BUDAPEST and SZEGED sailed for Constanta.
2. Since coal from Anina suitable for making into coke.`was not-sufficient
for the needs of the Rumanian iron industry, coal had to: be imported from
Poland. In order to make the industry independent of these imports,
attempts were made to make coke of the coal mined at Lupeni, a large
coal mining area in Rumania. The experiments were successful but the
necessary installation for the process was imported only in 1951.
3. Chromium and tungsten were imported from China. Cobalt could be obtained
only with great difficulties.
In 1951 a "not very great" quantity of copper was imported via Beirut.
6.?-There were few compressors, as their export to the Eastern bloc was
banned. The compressors used in the coal nlines'ho longer functioned
properly and miners who had refused to go to. work because of these com-
pressors received sentences of up to 25 years imprisonment. They were
offered releases if they agreed to return to the mines. RETURN TO RECORDS CUM
CLASSIFICATION SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY IMML41ATELY AFT 11S
A~
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7. From 1947 onwards, machinery was imported for the establishment of the
following factories.
a. A factory for machine tools in the former premises of the Astra
Vagoane Factory at Arad, the only one in Eastern Europe.
b. A factory for electrical motors from 100 to 150 h.p., an attempt to
produce more powerful motors not being successful, in the former work-
shops of the CFR (Rumanian Railways) at Craiova. The manager of the
factory was Zeigher, the former :head of the Planning Commission.
10. An exceptionally hard steel called Vidia was used for the tips and cutting
edges of tools. The material used for Vidia was very hard and was used
in its pure state by the oil industry. The material was difficult to
import and it is believed that it was brought in through diplomatic pouch.
The same was done to facilitate the manufacture of other extra-rapid (sic)
high spee7 steels.
11. A group of Rumanian and Hungarian engineers succeeded in manufacturing
graphite electrodesVfor electric furnaces from the remnants of used
electrodes in accordance with a method described in a U.S. scientific
periodical. The electrodes were difficult to import as they were the
monopoly of a United States-Great Britain-Swedish firm.
12. The Industria Sarmei Factory at Turda produced welding electrodes. The
steel wires were manufactured by the factory itself, but the chemicals
with which the wires were coated had to be imported. A certain quantity
was successfully imported in 1950-51.
13. Rumania?s only source for underground electric cables was the USSR, but
the cables obtained were made of steel wire and not of copper. This
caused many failures,,,
14. As the old Rumanian oil refineries could not be renovated both gasoline
and paraffin were of poor quality. The gasoline was of not more than
70 octane.
15. There was much exploratory drilling in oil areas. The following new
deposits were discovered.
a.
Very large deposits thought to rival those of Ploesti were found in
the Buzau district near the old oil fields.
b.
North of. Bacau (between Bacau and Piatra Neamt). The old oil fields
were situated south of Bacau.
c.
Methane gas in northern Moldavia. A gas pipeline was laid to Iasi
from the gas wells.
d.
Very large deposits of methane gas in northern Transylvania. These
deposits could supply the whole of Rumanian industry for 3,000 years.
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These oil fields could not be