Short history
Founded in 1974, The Rompetrol Foreign Trade Company had the role of providing expertise in the oil and gas industry, playing a significant role in the development of several major projects in the Middle East. During its 48 years of activity, the company has had customers in more than 25 countries on four continents. In Iraq alone, Rompetrol's drilling division has completed more than 500 wells since 1974. More than a hundred projects have been completed in North Africa and Europe, ranging from drilling to well services and overhauls.
Romanian specialists were internationally recognized, thanks to the school and the local tradition in the field of refining. In 1857, Romania was mentioned to operate the first refinery in the world and Lazar Edeleanu developed a revolutionary oil refining technology at the Vega refinery in Ploiesti. This is the moment when Vega, the longest-running local refinery, became interesting for Romania as well. Lazar Edeleanu won the Bucharest lighting competition, the capital becoming the first city in the world to be lit with lamp gas produced in Ploiesti.
Rompetrol, beginning and development
The formation of the Rompetrol Group begins with the acquisition of the Vega refinery in 1999, then the Petromidia refinery and the main company specialized in the oil and gas services in Romania, Petros (Rompetrol Well Services) in 2000.
2001
The first station built entirely by Rompetrol in Bucharest was inaugurated: Rompetrol Ghencea.
2002
The petrochemical division was established within the Petromidia platform.
Rompetrol expanded in Moldova and Bulgaria
2003
Rompetrol began to develop its own distribution network - Rompetrol stations and the network of wholesale depots.
Rompetrol became the first network in Romania to sell exclusively Euro fuels.
2004
The Command and Control Center of the Petromidia platform was put into operation, the first local center that automates operations on the platform.
Rompetrol starts selling Euro 4 gasoline. Euro 4 gasoline is mandatory starting January 1, 2005 in all European Union states and in Romania, since 2007.
2005
Rompetrol takes over the Dyneff network. It is the largest foreign transaction made by a Romanian company.
Rompetrol expands to Georgia.
The new concept for station shops is launched: hei.
2006
The company produces the first fuel of its own brand: Efix
Rompetrol Group establishes Rompetrol Gas company, the new liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) trade division;
Rompetrol modernizes and restarts the low-density polyethylene unit (LDPE)
2007 - Together we get further:
Rompetrol becomes the main brand of KazMunayGas International (Rompetrol Group)
Rompetrol was a pioneering brand, with passionate people and ambitious projects.
Through the partnership with KazMunayGas, the company establishes a new development direction, aiming to develop the premises of an integrated business between the natural resources located in Central Asia and related markets throughout Europe.
Investments
With clear plans, the objective pursued could not be other than development, including the entire range of activities of the group - from the supply and refining of crude, the sale of products through the network of stations in Romania and the countries of the Black Sea region, to crude and oil products trading.
Rompetrol owns 2 out of 4 refineries in Romania and the only local petrochemical division.
Over 1.5 billion USD have been invested in the refining sector in the last 15 years, Rompetrol, part of KazMunayGas, being an important pillar of the local and regional economy.
Refining and petrochemicals
In the midst of the economic crisis of 2008, the company's shareholder, KazMunayGas, approved a large investment package in the Petromidia refinery: the technological project to modernize and increase the refining capacity from 3.5 million tons to over 5 million tons per year.
After the completion of the project in 2012, Petromidia had a new configuration (new units in the production flow) becoming the largest local refinery and one of the most modern in SE Europe.
Petromidia is the largest local producer of diesel fuel, the largest producer of aviation fuel and the only producer of polymers through the petrochemical division, which covers more than half of the domestic consumption of petrochemical products.
Vega, the second refinery of the group, is the only local producer of road bitumen. In 2007, investments were made to put into operation the first modified road bitumen unit in Romania.
Vega is also the only local producer of normal hexane and ecological solvents used by more than half of the local and regional industries.
These special products are obtained exclusively from semi-finished materials delivered by the Petromidia refinery.
Logistics and supply
Considering the new increased processing capacity, investments in logistics and supply assets, were necessary to ensure the delivery of crude and other raw materials to Petromidia and of finished products to Black Sea area.
We contribute to ensuring the diversification of crude sources in Romania, and the crude reserves in Kazakhstan contribute to the local energy security.
The offshore marine terminal located 8.6 km in the Midia port, Black Sea, became operational in 2009. Thus we managed to establish a direct and efficient route for the supply of crude to the Petromidia refinery.
In the 15 years, approximately 60 million tons of crude were supplied through Romania's only offshore terminal.
The construction of the only liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) terminal in Midia port was completed in 2010
Located in the Birth 9 of Midia port, the new investment has a capacity of approximately 3,000 tons/transport, being directly connected to two of the LPG tanks of the refinery.
In 2011, Kazmortransflot, the national maritime transport company of Kazakhstan, begins the transportation activity in the Black Sea, with two Aframax oil tankers.
KMG becomes the sole shareholder of the operator of the oil terminal in Batumi, Georgia, with an annual transit capacity of 15 million tons of crude.
In 2012, Midia Marine Terminal, the company that operates the offshore terminal, performed dredging works of the berths in Midia port to facilitate the transit of maritime vessels with a capacity greater than 10,000 tdw* and tank-type barges of a maximum of 2,000 tdw.
Through the infrastructure developed in the area, Romania and Rompetrol become important players on the regional energy market, benefiting from the strategic positioning of these logistics facilities on the Black Sea.
From distribution stations to Energy Stations
The fuel distribution network represents the place where the products manufactured in Petromidia reach the final consumer both in Romania and in the countries of the region: Moldova, Bulgaria and Georgia, as well as our partners.
Quality has always been a priority for Rompetrol engineers and innovation a challenge for the entire Rompetrol community.. We are proud of the investments made for the continuous improvement of the Euro standard for fuels produced at Petromidia and also with many unique services at that moment in time.
In December 2008, Rompetrol was the first local company to produce Euro 5 gasoline (<10 ppm) at the Petromidia refinery. It was also the first company to have the first branded fuel: Efix.
The range of Efix fuels was introduced in Moldova and Georgia in 2008 and 2009 respectively, being in full compliance with Euro 5, the latest European Union standards for quality and emissions.
Investments in Rompetrol stations transformed the distribution station from a simple fueling points into meeting points.
Starting 2013, the stations begin an extensive rebranding, process, through improvements brought to the elements of visual identity, but also through the best technical solutions.
In 2014 and 2015, the group continued the modernization program and transition to the new concept in Romania, but also its expansion to the countries in the region where it owns Rompetrol gas stations – Moldova, Bulgaria and Georgia.
2016 was a key moment for Rompetrol Downstream as the fuel distribution segment exceeded 700 distribution points and marked 15 years since the construction of the first Rompetrol station in Ghencea, Bucharest.
A year later, in 2017, we inaugurated the first distribution station equipped with electric charging point on Chitila Road in Bucharest. Not far away, near the Mogosoaia depot, we were the first in Romania to install high-capacity solar panels in a station - a fact that allowed us to provide approximately 42% of the energy requirement from renewable sources.
In the midst of the pandemic, we welcomed our customers with a new concept of Rompetrol stations, with structural and visual elements in a minimalist format which highlight the hei brand, thus announcing a heightened focus on the development of the range of products prepared in the stations.
The exterior elements were made of ecological materials and the equipment in the station is energy efficient.
Together we get further, offering our clients quality fuels produced in Romania, being the only Romanian distribution brand present on 3 foreign markets: Moldova, Bulgaria and Georgia.
An important pillar of the local economy
With all production assets in Romania, Rompetrol is one of the country's largest contributors and a pillar of the local energy industry.
Rompetrol/KMG International can cover 70% of the current domestic demand or diesel and gasoline by supplying crude from Kazakhstan and processing it at Petromidia, while the company's crude imports from Kazakhstan cover over 40% of Romania's crude oil needs.
The Petromidia and Vega refineries represent 44.6% of the local refining capacity, and Petromidia has the highest yield of white products (gasoline, diesel, and jet) in the region.
Through the continuous development of the activities of the two owned and operated refineries, Rompetrol is the largest exporter of oil products and the third largest exporter in Romania.
The company has been among the top local exporters for many years, contributing to Romania's import-export balance, through the import of crude and the export of high-value refined products that represent more than 4% of the value of the Romanian manufacturing industry's exports.
Through its activities in Romania, the Group annually redirects over 1 billion USD to local budgets. The total contribution to the state budget during 2007-2022 was more than USD 20 billion.
The diversity of supply sources is an important element of energy security, and the Group's offshore marine terminal makes a significant contribution to ensuring an alternative raw material supply route by bringing crude from the Tengiz and Kashagan oil fields, the most resource-rich areas in Kazakhstan.
In addition to direct access to crude oil, Rompetrol Rafinare ensures the second largest reserve of oil products and crude oil within the regulated safety stocks.
The company provides important support to local economies in all the countries where it operates in the Black Sea region, being an element of stability by supplying Euro 5 products produced in Romania and transported to the region.
Long-term partner for the Romanian state
By acquiring Rompetrol, KazMunayGas laid the foundations for a long-term partnership between the two states, Romania and Kazakhstan. Rompetrol assets represent the only international acquisition of KazMunayGas and this was a priority in the development strategy.
The main assets of the KMG group in Romania, refineries, stations and the necessary infrastructure, together with over 5000 people ensure the country's energy security, but also an added value for raw materials brought from Kazakhstan, and access to the European market.
Through KMG we managed to establish a direct and efficient crude oil supply route to the refinery in Navodari and, at the same time, to be a stable bridge for commercial relations between the Eastern and Western European markets.
Through Rompetrol, we continuously contribute to ensuring the diversification of oil sources in Romania and the local production of oil products, and the crude oil reserves in Kazakhstan supplement the volumes of crude oil available for the country.
This strategic partnership has naturally evolved towards a collaboration that includes other development directions, especially in the field of energy.
The Kazakh-Romanian Energy Investment Fund, established in 2018 through the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Romanian State and KMGI, strengthens the partnership between the two states and offers new prospects for economic and social development.
The objective of the partnership is to implement projects that positively contribute to the development of the energy sector in Romania:
The construction of 66 new stations with an implementation period of 5 years, which will allow the expansion of the network from 18 to 84 stations. Their operation will ensure the creation of over 1,000 new jobs and will contribute to local budgets.
The construction of the cogeneration plant on the Petromidia platform. This project will annually generate approximately USD 11 million in taxes paid to the state budget.
The new power plant will generate approximately 80 MW of electricity - of which approximately 60-70 MW will cover the entire electricity requirement of the Petromidia platform, technological steam, plus the hot water requirement for the heating system of the city of Navodari.
In addition to streamlining the activities of the largest local refinery, the plant will comply with the highest technological standards of energy efficiency and environmental protection
A responsible member of the local communities
An important part of the 15-year anniversary since KazMunayGas took over Rompetrol is represented by the projects dedicated to local communities, developed with our long-term partners.
10 million USD has been allocated over the 15 years to implement more than 800 projects that support real needs in the fields of: health, culture, environment and education, directions that our shareholder KazMunayGas has always supported by including them in the strategy of Sustainable Development.
Health
We are celebrating 15 years of partnership with SMURD and the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (ISU).
Fuel for emergency helicopters, medical equipment, the rehabilitation and equipping of several medical units, support during the pandemic - these were some of the measures taken so that the members of the communities in which we operate benefit from quality medical services.
13 years - Main partner of the George Enescu Festival and Competition
Rompetrol and the George Enescu Festival/Competition have developed as Romanian brands, conquered international markets and promoted values such as creativity, national pride, will and determination.
Environment
More than 30,000 trees have been planted over the years, together with local partners and volunteers.
The constant investments in the production units and the permanent optimization of the activities of all the production assets represent the direct way by which the company's shareholder, KazMunayGas, establishes the long-term objectives. These are some of our efforts to reduce the impact on the environment and to contribute to a sustainable development and partnership with all the communities in which we operate.
Education
None of our initiatives or those of other community members can bring long-term transformation without education. It is again about solid partnerships between the private sector, the education system, non-governmental organizations, parents and children.
We support those initiatives that have the role of changing processes and mentalities and that act as a catalyst, because only through significant impact can such an important approach be supported.
We also have a relevant example of internal involvement, the internship program "Ready for career" with 21 years of tradition.
More than 1,500 graduates have participated in the internship programs and more than half of them have become our colleagues in various fields.
Rompetrol people - Their energy drives us forward
The ambition and dedication of our people tell the story of the company every day: they are the engine that gives us the energy to move forward, thanks to their ability to continuously innovate, we, as the Rompetrol community, want to contribute to a better future.
