THE SOVROMPETROL REFINERY NO. 1 IN PLOESTI

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R008300490001-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 19, 1999
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: September 15, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

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iI1JEC,T The Sovrompetrol Refinery
ro I in Floesti
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December 1950
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15 SEP 51
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,,:..UPPLEMENT TOT.-
PEPORT
1, The Sovrompetrol today consists of rf,.no refineries wh.i.oh are located
throughout Rwaania. On 11 Ju.ile 1948, the date of na,'&iongazaticco,
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refine ::ice in farmanla. became i..,tate property and divided into two
categoAes; the first was the Sovrem:,-)otrol Uld f2tiC d the Vella,
'2bendd t.oitbie, Graditul inier and the I;ra. refineries,,, all of
'ich-lere in TICT1CiIig, firde;7', The second ct..egory '0723..angeta '7,..e0 the
plEn,anim State.; they "1.:aheri'..::,ed" the Orion,, Nori
OM of: -which ware 3.11 ZlOCE;tiz) aLi i7.1s theFitt,r7,auo?, t7;eimpina,,, VOCiAtellz
Oil of Brasov and the Prelloya refine:Jies in ie,herest, On the sate -
date (ra June 1948) three owoanies emel'gea as felloi:in;Z' SOVrOlapetrol,
Cocietrtea ZiantmtLal: z-lnd Moldova,: in 1949 the Piallfitra rCriner:1;ws rCiatr?0(.1
from Ducharest (in the distri:A of 6,--Areceni) to the region of 1,1oinesi
in Moldova.. On 1 21.ng,..mt, 1(Z.X.,,, the Sovrompetrol tool; ',The for.:,.r Astra
Iri.oraan , the s Romans hmeri c an ? to ,atia r V .31=1 Oil of Fr s Moine ti
:in Holciova)',1.12or:..es? under its con-6rol,,
The Sovrompetrol is today cr.ganized into the trus,ts; the exploitation
.;Yrust Ond the transformation 'rusto The former has theo regionc:? the
of which are in Nunteri.a .nd the other in No?.dov:a? The t,rmsformtion
t,T,:ust has under its control ell the nine re,fineries Faxima:nial it
charged with the sale of t1.-;.e products as well,
30 The nine refineries ownecik as followEi;
RVIarle27 No. 1 The former Astra Rafitanal, rion i'etroavana, altd.
neiy No. 2 Vega
Uefine,ry No. 3 Romans Americana T.elekljen
Eefinery No? ;,itocua Romann Uniapina
refinery No. .5 f.;tarn-liard
Refinery No. 6 Creoitul Ninier
Refinery No. 7 Columbia
lefinery No. 8 Moiresti
Refine:0Y No,,, 9 -Vacuum 011 of Brasov-,
The numbers are assigned to the refineries in A-,..w,ani ccorain to their
importance; thus Refinery No, 1 is the moot important in Rur,:inta.,,
.-.riformant states that :Lhe first four refineries are COI/Sid.01-17.:d by the
CLASS( ACATION
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Rumanian and Soviet authorities as the most strategic End it is these four
which produce the largest amounts of FOL (petroleuna oil, lubricants)
products e Refinery Noo 9 manufactures oil lubricants only
40 Other than the Sovrompetrol firm, there are two Rumanian companies knoun as
the Muntenia and Moldova which have not been in production since they were
bombed in the last war? Intensive reconstruction work is being carried
outa however, at the present time? The informant declares that the ropare
have been given priority in order to make these companies as "reserve
producers" in the event that other oil production areas are eliminated in
an eventual bombing raid. In the Moldova area new wells are now being see*
and explorations for new oil deposits continuo? There is not enough petroleum
extracted today in all of Rumania to keep the present facilities occupied?
So Refinery Nte 1 in Ploestia where the informant's job was to enter the
daily production of crude oil into a log and keep cccounts of various
expenses for the Refinery, vs knomm as the "superior unit of the trans-
formation truat"0 Refinery Noal was governed by the fol/owing officials
and leaderog
do Direotor of Refinery e. Constantin Stefaneacua a former laboratory
workero
te Chief Engineer Vasile Devideacuo
co Chief Accountant - Ion Popeacuo
do Chief of Administration e Iulian Popeacuo
e. Chief of Technical Services e algineer Victor Gradinescuo
fo Chief of the Bureau of Construction - Engineer Julies Brenovitsero
go Chief of Plannirg Engineer Boris Meloso
he Chief of Cadre - Dumitru Dragoia a former wmitero
io Chief of Power Plant, Steam Plant
and Electric Repair Shop . Engineer Hosea?
jo Chief of Pipe Line Repair Shop - Assiatant-Engimeer Barbuleecuo
ko Chief of Mechanical Repair Shop - Engineer Nicolae Illeacuo
L Chief of Tin Shopa Builders? Carpenters,
and Painters Shop Assiatant Engineer Fetre Tudoraa0
6. The exports of POL from Refinery No 1 and probably for all of the Sovrom-
petrol enterprises are based on three accounts? They are aa follow83
eo Armistice Article 22-23 Accounts These =parte are made
without payment and the refinery is reirabureed by tha
Rumanian Ministry of Finenceo Informant has no figures
of either the payments mode or the quantity of products
shipped to the Soviet Union on this account?
bo The Commercial Accord with the Soviet Unions The Soviets
paid for their products received under this account at a
rate less than the coat of proftctione The difference in
cost was paid by the RUManiln, Ministry of Finance.
Compensation Accounts This; account VAI5 paid to the Soviet
Union in the form of fuel for Soviet vessels This was exe
plained to mean that the Rumanians provided the fuel oil
ialftEr
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for vessels and the Soviets provided the transportationo
Informant added that the only items shipped or transported
by such Soviet vessels were Rumanian goods produced for the
Soviet Unions
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No satellite nations received any POL products from Refinery Noe 1 with
the exception of Hungary which received a very small amount of nnigroln
type oil on special ordero The remainder of the products were shipped
immediately at the rate of 85 percent to 90 percent of each months
production to the Soviet Union? The remaining 1.0 to 15 percent was for
internal consumption.
The refining capacity for Refinery Noo 1 ranges from 200,000 to 220,000
tons each month. There is, however, a shortage of crude oil which decreases
the average monthly production of all products to the actual atm of 130,000
to 160,000 .tone per month. The figure of gasoline produced per month ;mounts
to 22 percent of the overall figure for the month. The informant aside that
this latter figure is raieed to 25 percent by the proem.: of adding isoe
octanes (100 percent octane rating to lowetest products). The loss Of
products (spilling., accidents, and evaperation) must not exceed the figure
of 2.4 percent of the actual monthly production. This is the limit
permitted by the Soviet nuthorities; should this figure be exceeded, the
noverpayment" on the basic salaries for that month is withheld from each
of the approximate 3,500 employeeao
The most important product is nethylized gasoline,' for aircraft use,
Next in importance is fuel for tractors. The aviation gasoline production
totals between 30 to 40 percent of the monthly gasoline figure given
above which in turn, is from 8 to 10 percent of the actual monthly
production figure for the entire refinery ? The differences in the figures
for the gasoline produced minus the amount of aviation gasoline produced
results in the total for use by automotive vehicleeo
10. The "heave gasoline (that .is below 52 octane rating) is mixed with a
product known as motorine (which has a lower octane rating that kerosene)
to produce tractor fuelo This fuel is exclusively for export, The
informant has no information concerning quantities produced.
fl There is only a minimum quaatite of gasoline, kerosene and fuel oil for
internal consumption All transportation which uses petroleum products as
a source of power is greatly restricted in Rumania. The few private cars
existing today use gasoline paid for at the rate of 75 lei per lileere The
coat for the aeme quantity for official use is 26 lei. According to the ?
last calculation made by aefinery No ID Vee cost of producing and processing
each liter of gasoline varied between 26 and 3 lei per litere
The informant states that rationing of kerosene to the Rumanian civilians
is haphasard affair? Sometimes the ration is limited to two liters per ?
week per family in winter months and sometimes this figure is raised to
tivo liters per family? In the event that the local POL reeervoirn have
adequate supplies, the town officiale sometimes do not even auk for ration
cards and allow each family as much kerosene as it requires There have
been periods, however, when the reservoir supply has been exhausted and
kerozene- and gasoline have been impossible to obtain at any priceo
13 The largest and most important installations at Refinery No, 1 are the four
pipe stilles Pipe Still No. 2, former Orion installation, is the moat
modern in Rumania and produces cracked gasoline, motorine (fuel oil), and
briquettes which are known Jn Rumania QA coke de petrol. The three other
pipe stills produceds
Di stilled gaeoli tie0
b. Distilled motorine (fuel oil)0
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co White spirits (which is a light kerosene used for tractors and
often mixed with gasoline and made available for use in automobiles)
do Petrol (kerosene)*
eo Pacers (tar)0 If the tar has a high paraffine content it is sent
to the Dubbe installation for further cracking
16 The Dubbs installation has four unitv which are used for cracking crude
oilo The products, from Pipe Stills 1030 and h, have a high tar content;
the tar is extracted at the Debbs installation and the residue is what is
known as prime oil o This prire oil is used as the raw material for further
extractions at the Dubbs instellationo Oil of 130 different types a according
to viscosity are produced here*
The specialist for the paraflcw installation is Engineer Eugen Constantinople
S Rumanian citisen of Greek originlo The paraflow installation is in the
former Noris refinery near Pipe Still NO 2 and located near the Ploesti South
station ? It is of strategic importance since it is the only installation
in Rumania which manufactures the ingredients for preparing lubricant oil
for aircraft? The installation is used for mixing the 130 types of oil
(mentioned above) with pararicw (known as paragel in Rumania). Some quentitiee
of the paraflov 'taxa' is sent to other refineriea where it is blended with
oil products intended for aircraft We.
:16., There is an installation for extracting tar fram cracked oil known ate
desosfaltare (sic)0 'ma oil resulting from this process is eent by pipe
line to various other installations for further refining?
170 Only Refinery No 1 has an enetallation for manufacturing gasoline from
the rich natural gee? This it done by a process of mixing the natural
gas (air) with certain chemical elements which reault in a higher volatile
gasoline with sn octane rating of over 900 The informaut has no idea of
the chemicals used in this process but mentioned that perhaps caustic soda
and sulphuric acid might be used. The high test gasoline resulting frea
the process is mixed with the lower 60 or 70 octane gasoline zed the result
is aviation gasolineo :21 Rumania aviation gasoline has an octane rating of
72 and is mixed with tetra-ethyl of leado Gasoline used for automobiles hno
an octane rating as low as 600
0 From the Dubbs installation the gasoline is passed to another installution
which is called the reforming coarse cracked gasoline insLallation. Itis
located two kilometers from the Dubbs installation and is only used when
there is a need for such gasoline ? It was installed by the Gereans about
19420 Since all German property was expropriated by the Soviet Uniona the
lestallation was given to the Sovrempetrol firm as the Soviet contribution
to the company. There is still another former German installation known as
the Rovato The informant knows only that it is not in working order
since the Soviet Army removed all the instruments and apparatus and carried
them to the Soviet Union? The informant does not know what the installation
is capable of producing and knows only that the Soviet? have only recently
abandoned it as useless despite having repaired the internal bomb damage?
The gasoline which comes from the "reforming of the coarse cracked gasoline"
installation is very much like the beat grede of gasoline produced by the
pipe atillso The octane rating varies between 52 and 92 and the pureet
gasoline is used for pharmaceutical purposes?
190 There is an installation for mixing iso-octanoo which increasea the octane
rating in low test gasolineo It produces 35 tons per dears but it works only
on an average of 10 days per month
200 The two tar installations aee the former Aware =mane, BDU Orion popy
The Astra Romans' installation can produce up to 120 tons of tar per day0
The Orion production is not knewn to informant but it is somewbct leca than
the former? These installations are subject to the "socialised method of
competition" in which the chiefs of production of each installation strive
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to make their product eheacer and cheaper() For examplea a reward is given
to those who can suggest a &japer pieduction method; they receive a cash'
outlay of from 8 to 10 perceet of their salary. Both of these installations
received tar from the desoefaltare (sic) installation, The Orion tar
inatallationp directed by ea '_1Ing1neer Nahn produces (together with the
former Astra Romana) hot liquid tar which is transported in railroad tank
cars and cold tar tranoported in rolls and in barrelao The tar is mainly
for export to the Soviet Union. TIIS products are stored in very large
warehouses located within the refinery grounds?
210 There are too vacuum pipe stillinstellatione which use the raw material
remnants from the regular pips stills to make lubricants? The former
Antra Roman& pipe still refines the lubricant and distills the oil
according to temperature which is raised or lowered to produce the ,
quality of oil desired, Of the total production of Refinery Noo la 30
percent of its overall monthly figure is for lubricants. There are four
installations which manufacture lubricants from the raa material which is
rich in ter contarrto
220 The two re-boiler installations known as the "Rosboalera are need for the
same purpose of producing lubricants? This process is on a "laddero basis
in which the liquid raw matereal is distilled at different levels which
are coordinated with different temperatures The oil a are drown off at
the various levels and the reaults are lubricants of various viscosities,
The storage facilities for the lubricants within the Refinery Noo I are
considerable in size since a nonthas production is alwAys accumulated
before it is sent to the Soviet Union in railroad tank earso Informant
could give no information concerning the precise size of the storage press?
23. There are two inetallations for "stabilising" (sic) gasolineo The
gasoline from all reservoire ere conetantly being tested in the refinery
laboratory and those which require stabilising are transported to to
large tanks which have Agitators inside. The process for neutralizing is
unknown although there is a "doctoring treatment" (sic) for gasoline and
tractor fuel in which sulphuric acid is used in some unknown manner? The
result is of higher teat gasoline and tractor fuel? The gasoline "otabilised"
in this mannee ia always contracted for and this process may be adjusted to
provide gasoline of desired octane rating and in the desired amount This
is a huge installation 'which can alleged'ey handle the entire gaooline outs
put of the four large pipe etillso
240 Refinery Noo I also has six ovens with one large obimney for burning the
residue of tale, The installation is of small loportance and the production
is unknown. The product is coke of which there are hugh quantities located
nearby. The coke is sold to the State railroads and in rare caws to the
various industrial planta although the latter in nearly every instance uees
ilouid fuel oil. The coke is considered much too smoky and produces a high
proportion of ashee. It is not sold to the public?
`..t!5,, The oxygen factory. produces 600 cubic meters of oxygen per day by a system
known as "distilled fractioring" of air, This process is done by introducing
air into a column which has very low temperatureso The oxygen in the air
liquifies at minus 1820 centigrade; The oxygen produced is stored in tubes
of eight cubic meters each? This oxygen is produced continually except
one-half day each month when the temperature is lowered still more and
liquid air is obtained for use in laboratory experimenteo The oxygen
produced is used completely by the Sovranpetrol firm for welding repaireo
Usually there is not enough to supply the needs of the refinery? There
are an unknown number of persons who work in this factory,' It is directed
by Engineer Nicolas Ilieecu who is the director of the mechanical repair
shop as well,
260 There are laboratories at each refinery in Rumania Any discoverios or
results are reported and centralized wfttb the laboratory at Rerinery Woo 10
Every tank and reservoir in the Refiners is tested daily by the laboratory
and nothing leaves the refinery until it is tested and officially sealed by
the laboratory, There are between 120 and 130 men working at Refinery No. 1
3abonAMMYeaffertuRelssalue2001406itter4144110P41001945741Z60?34764766014porkLrs
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who are meployed on a three? eightehour shift per dr basis? In January 1951
the experimental laboratory which is subject to the General Direceorste of
the Sovrompetrol enterprises* was removed from the premie sea of Refinery No0 1
to an unknown location in Ploesti. The precise number of employees is
unknown; Informant knows that there are more persons than the number at
Refinery No0 1 (1,150 130) and the fact that only chemical engineers are
employed? In this laboratory there is a "motor measurement section" where
experiments are made on motor car engines to test the effects of gasoline
with various octane ratings ? An Engineer Omar% a woman* is in charge of
the special laboratory. The most difficult problem facing the laboratory
is in the testing of lubricants which are very similar. Informant does not
know of the organization or other personnel of the laboratory?
270 There is an ice factory which supplies this item for the laboratory needs
at Refinery No* 10 It is only a smell installation and manufactures enough
ice for the families of the employees at the refinery to take home0
28* There are two lime burning ovens which produce 100 tons of lime each month
from each 200 tons of limestone The lime is used for the softening
treatment of water in order to stop scaling depouits in pipes* Only a
few persons are employed at the ovens who control the burning processes0
The lime is taken to a mill where it is ground and taken to s. water
purification plant. There are wells within the plant; the rater from these
is treated with lime and piped to the various inetallations throughout the
refinery ? The. water is also used in .the various steam and cooling processes
employed at the refinery?
290 The electric power plant produces from 6,600,000 to 70000,000 kilowatt
hours per month? It is a large installation and the Concordia Metallurgical
factory is supplied with an amount ranging between 12300,000 to 1,500a000
kilowatt hours per month depending on the season.. Natural gam is used to
produce the steam which turns the turbines* Natural gas comes from the
installation described above? The remainder of the natural gas is used
as fuel after elements for making gasoline have been extracted* In the
rare event* usually during heavy winter months, when the natural _supply is
not enough the power plant uses the remaining residues from the various
cracking processes.' Actually* the refinery is not permitted to use liquid
fuel except in the case when natural gas is completely unavailable.
300 The reservoirs at Refinery NOu 1 total over 300 in number and store vome
gasoline and mostly lubricants* These iron tanks vary in size from the
small 1,000 ton capacity reservoirs, to the 5,000 and the 10,000 ton capacity
reservoirs0 The van-colored camouflage which had been in use during the
war is still preaent. Around each of the reservoirs there are concrete
blast walls* There have been no new reservoirs constructed and only those
which have been bomb damaged have been reconditioned. There are no under
ground storage tahkaa according to informant?
310 Since nearly all of the gaeoline produced was sent immediately teethe
Soviet Union there did not seem to be a shortage of storage space. The
main storage facilities were for lubricating oils?
32,, Fire protection devices in. the refineries have reached a high degree of
perfection. Each still has a very high brick wall surrounding it eith
only the tall 'columns being exposed Within Refineey No* 1 there are
approximately 100 firemen who have modern equipment such as an automatic
foam system (believed to be carbon dioxide) which functions on the principle'
of isolating and containing any outbreak of fire* In the event of fire,
any installation can be emptied of its products by underground concrete covered
conduits. Large shut off valves are to be found in strategic areas, The
foam system 1'a:wolve8 a aeries of pipes throughout the refinery to whLeh hoses
een be attached and the tom played directly on the fireo systm in
:supplemented with biX fire engines with chemical tankao Fire drills are
held every two days? In September 1950 there was e fire in which hot tar
exploded; the fire was extinguished very quickly and Officientay0 The
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fires ueually occur at the Dubbs installation? There are between three end
four fires per year? The alarm is given by lights which flash on in the
event of a fires Under the lights there in a small board on which the
location of the area of the tire is made kmoWn0 There is come three to five
meter distance between each reservoir and there are water hydrants az well?
Actually the fire engines have never been used at Refinery No0 10 There are
no sand deposits for fire use according to informant,
33. During the month in which a fire occurs no employee of the refinery receives
his monthly overpayment salary (Joe above the basic salary); thus every
employee is extremely careful? There are "No Smoking" signs throughout the
refinery and anyone apprehended smoking is immediately dismissed?
31 Pipe Still Noo 2 in the area of the former Orion refinery was constructed
in 1949 at a cost of 9600000000 lei, according to accounts seen by infoemant,
The Pipe Still was reconstructed from its bomb damaged condition and enlarged
with its own cracking plant. It is now the most modern installation, in
Rumania.
35,, The desosfaltare (sic) instellation was constructed in 1948 and /949 at a
cost of 26,0000000 1e10 It was new e-constructed and has metal columns and
ovens0
360 The repair of the installation for "reforming of coarse cracked gasoline"
Was during 1949 and 1950. The cost was 38e000,000 to rebuild the bomb
damage?
370 The former GerMan Rowat installation coat the Rumanian Government 32s,4000e000 lei
for reconstruction. It is still not completed and is not now in use. The
principle obstacle in to replace the apparatus and instrumento taken by
the Soviets when the Red Army first entered Pleeati.
380 The total budget and inveatnents during 1950 reached the figure of
34000009000 lei, The budget for 1951 is not known to Ineformant.
390 Salaries paid to the personnel, at Refinery No? I reneged batmen the sem of
26e0000000 and 27,90009000 lei per mentht The number of workers totaled 3,386
in December of 19500 The informant was dirmissed in January 19510 -
LO The informant believes that the Concordia metallurgical factory now producen
menitions. He has no details except that military guards are used to protect
the factorye The refinery itself has civilian guards.
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1. Comment: All foreigners were ordered to leave Refinery No0 1
Will-agiTiFf 1951. There were four personae two of wham were Swiss
engineers and two were Italian =sone?
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