Rompetrol Rafinare and Rompetrol Petrochemicals, member companies of the Rompetrol Group, have successfully recommissioned the production installations on the Petromidia platform after the completion, on November 1st, of the general scheduled revision. The total level of investments performed during the revision (September 20 – November 1) amounted to over 43 million USD.
“It was a large operation, carried on based on the effective legislation regarding the functioning of refineries. The performed works and investments support the objectives established by the Group for 2011, namely reaching a processing capacity within the refinery of over 5 million tons of raw material per year, and the improvement of the level of operational and safety efficiency on the Petromidia platform” stated Alexandru Nicolcioiu, Vice President of the Refinery and Petrochemical Division of the Rompetrol Group.
Among the most important projects conducted during this revision there is the retooling of the Catalytic Cracking unit, which allows the significant increase of the production efficiency, as well as the automation of the compressors and the integration of new systems meant to monitor the performance of the installations. Another notable accomplishment is the modernization of the Gas Desulphurization and Sulphur Recovery unit according to the new processing capacity of the refinery of over 5 million tons of raw material. This measure also led to a 30% increase of the sulphur recovery level.
Also, the works aimed at creating the necessary premises for the integration of the future installations within the operational flow of the refinery (the Mild Hydrogen Cracking unit, the hydrogen plant, and a sulphur recovery unit).
The works were coordinated by Rominserv, the general contractor of the Rompetrol Group, which collaborated with 52 companies and 3,100 people. Within the refinery and on the petrochemical platform, works were performed on 600 machines and 2,000 pipes, over 400 installations and devices were integrated, and 61 new projects were implemented.
“The revision was completed on November 1st, according to the established date, and afterwards one has gradually restarted the installations according to the operational flows of the two companies within the Grup. At the moment, these have re-entered the normal production rhythm and reach the nominal capacities” added Alexandru Nicolcioiu.
Rompetrol Rafinare registered, during the first nine months of the year, a consolidated turnover* of over 2.7 billion USD**, 17% higher as compared to the level reached in the similar period of 2009. In the third quarter of 2010, the company marked a 5% increase of the turnover, from 906 million USD to 953 million USD, and a improvement of the operational result (EBITDA), from 4 milion USD up to the level of 18 million USD.
During the first 9 months of the year, the Company continued to be an important taxpayer to the Romanian state budget, and the total value of the contribution to the local and central budget amounted to about 1.2 billion USD, over 70% higher as compared to the same period of the last year. At the same time, the exports of the company have increased with 10%, up to a level of over 774 million USD, Rompetrol Rafinare holding the 3rd place amongst the top Romania exporters in 2010.
* The consolidated financial statements of Rompetrol Rafinare include the results of Rompetrol Rafinare S.A. and those of the subsidiaries Rompetrol Petrochemicals S.R.L., Rom Oil S.A., Rompetrol Downstream S.R.L. and Rompetrol Logistics S.R.L. (together with the subsidiary Rompetrol Gas S.R.L.).
** The presented results are unaudited and consolidated, prepared according to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).