The Rompetrol Group was appointed friday by the National Association of Romanian Exporters and Importers (ANEIR) as number one exporter in 2008, with a total volume of sales on external markets of over USD 1.6 billion.
“Following the acquisition of the Rompetrol Group, in 2007, KazMunaiGaz took the first step for establishing a platform for the development of specific assets and operations in Europe. The company’s involvement in consolidating and expanding Rompetrol’s activities in Romania has also been felt at the level of internal economy, affected by the international crisis, both through the exports made by member companies, and through the support provided to the Group since 2008 and until present, approximately USD 1.8 billion” declares Alibek Zhilbayev, Manager of the Rompetrol Group’s Trading Division.
The top made by ANEIR comprises 830 companies (out of a total number of 24,645 export companies) with exports of minimum EUR 5 million in 2008, the Rompetrol Group being present with three member companies - Rompetrol Rafinare (3rd position), Rompetrol Petrochemicals (33) and Rompetrol Gas (621). These companies are joined by Rominserv, the general contractor of the Rompetrol Group, which recorded a total volume of exports of approximately USD 3.3 million last year.
In 2008, the exports made by the Rompetrol Group amounted to over USD 1.6 billion, increasing by 48% as compared to 2007. At the same time, in 2008, according to the National Institute of Statistics, Romania’s exports increased by approximately 25%, up to USD 49 billion (124 billion lei).
The main export destinations of the Rompetrol Group were both regional markets (Turkey, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Germany, Italy, Austria, Poland, Russia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Hungary), and the region of Asia, Middle East and Africa. The products exported comprise fuels (gasoline, Diesel oil, coke, fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas), polymers (polypropylene, low- and high-density polyethylene), industrial cast iron and steel fittings.
“In the first nine months of the year, the total volume of exports made by Rompetrol reached a number similar to 2008, the trading activity being the second important in the Group’s structure, after the refining and retail activity. For this year, the Group intends to maintain a volume of approximately 8 million tons of oil and oil products traded, their selling being carried out both through the Rompetrol subsidiaries abroad and through trading activities with external partners” Alibek Zhilbayev says.
The Rompetrol Group is present in 12 countries, having most of its operations and assets in France, Romania, Spain and South-Eastern Europe. During December 2007 – December 2009, the total number of the Rompetrol employees increased by approximately 5%, up to 9600 employees.
The Rompetrol Group continued to be an important tax payer to Romania’s State budget in 2008 as well, when the total amount paid increased by 9% as compared to the indicator recorded in 2007 (USD 1.2 billion). In the first nine months of 2009, the Group’s contribution amounted to 737 USD million.