Petrotel Lukoil Refinery
Encyclopedia
Petrotel Lukoil Refinery is one of the largest Romania
n oil refineries
and one of the largest in Eastern Europe
, located in Ploieşti
, Prahova County
. Its main activity is the processing of Romania
n and Russia
n oil, but a separate unit is specialised in biodiesel
production and another unit specialises in energy production. Russian oil is transported by oil tanker
s from the Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port
, unloaded at an oil terminal located in the Port of Constanţa
, and transported to the refinery by rail or by a 250 kilometres (155 mi) underground pipeline that links the refinery to the port. In 2004, the refinery underwent a major modernization that reduced the production capacity of 3.5 million tonnes/year to 2.4 million tonnes/year but made the refinery more efficient, with a higher percentage of use. The refinery also has a biodiesel producing capacity of 100,000 tonnes and the energy division has a gas-fired turbine with a nominal capacity of 30MW.
and was bombarded by the allied powers
in a small raid in June 1942, then in a much larger series of missions, Operation Tidal Wave in August 1943, in an effort to destroy the Axis
' oil fields and refineries. The refinery area quickly became the third most heavily defended target in Europe, after Berlin and Vienna.
In 1979 the refinery was renamed Teleajen after the nearby Teleajen River
and held this name until 1998 when it was privatised and sold to the Russia
n company Lukoil
for US$ 53 million; with this sale, the refinery's name became Petrotel-Lukoil.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n oil refineries
Refinery
A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.-Types of refineries:Different types of refineries are as follows:...
and one of the largest in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
, located in Ploieşti
Ploiesti
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
, Prahova County
Prahova County
Prahova is a county of Romania, in the historical region Muntenia, with the capital city at Ploieşti.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 829,945 and the population density was 176/km². It is Romania's most populated county, having a population density double than the country's mean...
. Its main activity is the processing of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n oil, but a separate unit is specialised in biodiesel
Biodiesel
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
production and another unit specialises in energy production. Russian oil is transported by oil tanker
Oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
s from the Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port
Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port
JSC Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port is Russia's largest commercial sea port operator. The company is headquartered in the city of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea coast.- Overview :...
, unloaded at an oil terminal located in the Port of Constanţa
Port of Constanta
The Port of Constanța is located in Constanța, Romania, on the western coast of the Black Sea, from the Bosphorus Strait and from the Sulina Branch, through which the Danube river flows into the sea. It covers , of which is land and the rest, , is water. The two breakwaters located northwards...
, and transported to the refinery by rail or by a 250 kilometres (155 mi) underground pipeline that links the refinery to the port. In 2004, the refinery underwent a major modernization that reduced the production capacity of 3.5 million tonnes/year to 2.4 million tonnes/year but made the refinery more efficient, with a higher percentage of use. The refinery also has a biodiesel producing capacity of 100,000 tonnes and the energy division has a gas-fired turbine with a nominal capacity of 30MW.
History
The Petrotel refinery was established in 1904 as the Romanian-American Refinery with an annual processing capacity of 80,000 tonnes. It became a strategic target in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was bombarded by the allied powers
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
in a small raid in June 1942, then in a much larger series of missions, Operation Tidal Wave in August 1943, in an effort to destroy the Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
' oil fields and refineries. The refinery area quickly became the third most heavily defended target in Europe, after Berlin and Vienna.
In 1979 the refinery was renamed Teleajen after the nearby Teleajen River
Teleajen River
The Teleajen River in southern Romania is a tributary of the Prahova River. Its source is located in the Ciucaş Mountains in the locality of Cheia, at the junction of headwaters Cheiţa and Tâmpa River...
and held this name until 1998 when it was privatised and sold to the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n company Lukoil
LUKoil
Lukoil/LUKoil ; ) is Russia's second largest oil company and its second largest producer of oil. In 2009, the company produced 97.615 million tons of oil; ....
for US$ 53 million; with this sale, the refinery's name became Petrotel-Lukoil.