THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY IN ROMANIA

I. Antonicã, A. Stoica and Gh. Pacoste, Republican Committee for Geological Reserves, Romania

Abstract. The existence of hydrocarbons in Romania was attested many centuries ago, but 1857 marked the beginning
of the Romanian oil industry; in that year the first official crude oil production, 275 tons, was registered and the first oil
refinery put into operation at Ploie.$. During the last 15 years drilling has developed rapidly and diversified; over 1.5
million m were drilled yearly. Geological investigations, drilling down to over 4000 m, started in 1960, the deepest
drilling reaching 6504 m. Crude oil production in Romania involves all the systems provided with continuousIy improved
technologies, clearing up problems related to lifting depth, presence of sand in the extracted fluids, paraffin and
corrosives. Conventional and improved methods were Iargely applied to expand the recavery factor and new methods
were experimented with, applied and extended, e.g. in Situ combustion, steam injection, polymer-water and rnicellar
solution injection, etc. Natural gas production in Romania has improved continuously, reaching 29 x lo9 Nm3 in 1978.
After 1970, processing capacity grew by building new refineries and integrated petrochemical complexes. As a result of
the growing importance of sour crude oil, the application of hydrogenation processing intensified and in 1980 will reach
48% more than the primary distillation. Catalytic cracking as well as catalytic gasoline reforming has also recorded a
high rate of growth in Romania. The retarded coking project has greatly improved, favoured by the quality of Romanian
crude oil. The dramatic progress of the oil- and gas-producing industry, of crude oil processing and of the petrochemical
industry in Romania was rendered possible by the development of the domestic industry manufacturing oil equipment,
placing our country second in the world as regards the export of such products and making possible the assertion of
Romania on the world market through various forms of cooperation, works and services.

1. INTRODUCTION
The existence of hydrocarbons in Romania is attested
from ancient times. During the Roman Empire there
were ‘unextinguished fires’ at Lopãtari and some 16th-
century documents attest the use of crude oil in drug
preparation, wheel greasing or lighting.
1857 marks the beginning of the oil industry in
Romania, when the first official oil production was
recorded-275 tons-and the first kerosene refinery put
into operation at Ploie+. Bucharest, the capital of the
country, was among the first towns in the world to be lit
with kerosene.
From the pioneering era of the oil industry in Romania
we mention the hand digging of some wells at Lucãcegti,
Bãicoi and Matita, 240-270 m deep, for oil exploitation.
Using wooden rods ending in a borer, the first well was
drilled down to 150 m in 1861 and the first wire percussion
type well was drilled in 1863. In 1906 the first rotary
system well was drilled and in 1911 this system reached
1170 m.
Early this century, studies carried out by the Romanian
geologists Gr. Cobãlcescu and Gr. Stefãnescu on the age
of the productive formatiuns and position of the reservoirs
resulted in certain clarifications of the subsoil geology in
our country and the drawing-up of some geological maps.
During 1900-03 L. Mrazek, one of the great personal-
ities of Romanian geology, identified a new type of fold,
‘diapir folds’, which played a major part in the develop-
ment of our oil industry. These folds were located in the
Sub-Carpathian Mountains, between Buzãu Valley and
Dîmbovija Valley, in the so-called ‘diapir folds zone’
comprising one of the major crude oil deposits in
Romania.
A remarkable step in oil geology was achieved in 1906
when the Geological Institute of Romania was estab-
lished; the development of geological mapping all over
the country contributed to such a step.
As a result of this activity and the development of
mechanical hydraulic percussion drilling, especially hy-
draulic rotary drilling, the volume of drilling reached
172 O00 m in 1920, 376 900 m in 1934 and 395 O00 m in
1937, the highest drilling volume of this period.
As regards crude oil production, from 275 tons in 1857
it reached 247 500 tons in 1900, 1 847 O00 tons in 1913
and 8 704 O00 tons in 1936, when the highest production
level was recorded in our country before World War II.
Although gas emanations from erosion-contaminated
Transylvanian structures had been known since ancient
times, the systematic exploitation of natural gas started
in our country during the first decade of the 20th century.
In 1908 the Sãrmãgel 2 well, drilled to find potassium
salts, showed evidence of an important gas reservoir. In
1913 the first industrial gas production was recorded,
113 O00 Nm3; in 1938 gas production was 311
million Nm3 and in 1944, 457.7 million Nm3.
We must point out that Romania was the first country
in Europe to use natural gas as a raw material in the

59
60 SPEECHES PRESENTED AT THE OPENING CEREMONY
chemical industry, namely to produce carbon black at
Copsa Mica in 1935 and formaldehyde at Copsa Mica in
1940. Since 1948 methane gas has been used to produce
ammonia.
At the same time as the development of crude oil
production the refining process developed too, almost
the whole production being processed in this country,
especially by primary distillation. In 1897 a refinery was
put into operation at Cîmpina to process 1200 tons of
crude oil per day, provided with plants for steam
distillation, crude oil refining, oils and paraffin. Later,
refining plants were constructed in other places as weil.
Thorough investigations have been carried out on
hydrocarbon resources in our country. Lazar Edeleanu
thought out the method of selective refining of kerosene
by sulphur dioxide, a method continuously improved and
now extended all over the world, in 1908. In 1933 C. D.
Nenitescu and A. Drãgan discovered the method of n-
alkane isomerization which was the basis of the isomer-
ization process to obtain high octane number gasoline.
Among the eminent scientists devoted to hydrocarbon
investigation we must mention N. Dãnãilã who, before
World War II, carried out research, stili valuable today,
concerning ethylene production from the pyrolysis of
petroleum fractions.
Part of the equipment and machinery used in the
drilling, extraction and processing of crude oil (draw-
works, steam pumps to drive drilling rigs, pumping units,
steam boilers, distillation columns, etc.) was made in
Romania even at the beginning of the oil industry.
To train specialists, in 1904 the chief drillers’ school
was set up at Cîmpina, and in 1919 the refining foremen’s
school, and in 1914 a mines and oil department was
established to prepare engineers, sponsored by the
‘Bridge and Roads High School’ in Bucharest.
As a result of war damage during World War II and of
the cut-back in drilling volume, especially geological
drilling, crude oil production was only 3 525 000 tons in
1944 and 3 838 850 tons in 1947.
In 1948, following the nationalization of the means of
production, the oil and gas industry was reorganized and
re-equipped, making it possible to apply a rational
exploitation and to grant important funds to improve it.
As part of the economic development programme of
Romania, crude oil and gas became not only the basis of
fuels, carburants and lubricants but also the basis of raw
materials for chemical processing.
The investments assigned to the oil industry aimed at
the improvement of hydrocarbon reserves, and the
placing of greater emphasis on the oil and gas industry,
as well as the development of the oil equipment industry.
2. GEOLOGY OF THE ROMANIAN TERRITORY
Considering the insufficient knowledge of hydrocarbon
reserves, during the last 30 years a vast programme of
geological investigation was applied ail over the country’s
RP 1 (6)
territory. The programme aimed at the discovery of new
reservoirs both in known and in scarcely known areas.
As a result of carrying out an important volume of
geological operations, the sedimentary structure compiy-
ing with favourable geological conditions for hydrocar-
bon accumulation (Fig. 1) shows the following
characteristics :
- Carpathian Orogene, with the East Carpathian
Depression and the Getic Depression;
- Inter-Carpathian, with the Transylvanian Depres-
sion, the Pannonian Depression and the Maramure5
Depression ;
- Carpathian Foreland, separating the Moesic Plat-
form, the Northern Dobrudja Orogene, the Pre-
Dobrudja Depression, the Moldavian Platform and
the Continental Platform of the Black Sea.
Investigation of the above sedimentary structure,
comprising various deposits ranging in age from Paleo-
zoic to Neozoic, was carried out by complex geological
operations : geological mapping, geophysical prospecting
(gravimetry, magnetometry, electrometry, seismometry)
and drilling jobs.
Gravimetric and magnetometric prospecting was car-
ried out over almost the whole of the country’s territory,
contributing to a better deep delimitation of large
structural units and to the identification of some of the
major survey zones.
Electrometric prospecting was carried out over a
limited area in the first stages of geological investigation.
Since its efficiency was very low compared with the
seismic survey, this method was not extended.
Seismic investigations-the most efficient method-
were carried out over the entire territory of the country
using every means created by gradual technical progress,
namely oscillographic stations, analogical seismic sta-
tions with magnetic recording and advanced technology,
and numerical seismic stations with magnetic recording
and automatic data processing. The average density of
measurements varied according to the degree of relief,
accessibility and method of resolution.
The seismic survey produced good results, providing
practically the entire knowledge of Pliocene and Sar-
matic-Tortonian young deposit structure as well as the
Cretaceous and Jurassic structures in the Carpathian
Foreland, at a depth of under 3500 m.
Less promising results were obtained as a result of
stratigraphic and lithological traps of very complicated
structures and of the Low Miocene and Paleogene
overthrust nappes deposits of the East Carpathian
Depression and the Getic Depression, at a depth of over
3500 m, as well as the deep Triassic and Paleozoic of the
Eastern Carpathian Foreland.
Geological prospecting and exploration drilling has
developed extensively, new deposits being discovered in
the old Moldavian and Valea Prahovey oil areas, at the
same time proving the oil and gas Potentials of the Getic
Depression, the Moesic Platform, the Northern Dobrudja
RP I (b) SPEECHES PRESENTED ATTHE OPENING CEREMONY 61

THE UNION OF S O V I E T

THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

Fig. 1. The main structural units of the Socialist Republic of Romania.

Orogene, the Moldavian Platform and the Pannonian
Depression. Over 300 structures are now producing gas
or oil.
Most of the traps controlling the accumulations are of
the structural type, in spite of their various forms, from
simple fold closed monoclines (Northern Danube plain)
and domes (Transylvanian Depression) to the entire
range of salt diapir folds and scale folds making up the
overthrust nappes of the Carpathian flysch. Controlled
accumulations of non-structural and combined traps
were also identified.
The Neogene sedimentary structure is amply devel-
oped both inside and outside the Carpathian massifs,
comprising almost two-thirds of the oil reserves and
practically all the gas reserves discovered to date in the
entire country. The Paleogene, especially the Oligocene,
is productive in the Carpathians and the Mesozoic and
Paleozoic in the Romanian Plain. The crystalline schist
basement from the Neozoic substratum is productive as
well over some structures in the Pannonian Depression.
Most of the reservoirs are comprised within the classic
sand and sandstone deposits, and in the Mesozoic and
Paleozoic the reservoirs are represented by limes and
fractured or hollow dolomite.
For geological prospecting of boreholes, the method of
investigating the content of the collectors crossed during
drilling with improved testers has been extended, the
pressure and temperature being determined at the same
time. For well geophysics the industry has been provided
with modem equipment used to carry out complex logs
allowing the quantitative determination of collector
geological and physical parameters.
Henceforth geological surveys will be carried out
intensively, priority being given to the development of
scientific research, seismic prospecting and geological
drilling.
The scientific research will focus on the determination
of the geological conditions of hydrocarbon accumula-
tions, especially in the areas comprising complicated
tectonics and litho-stratigraphic traps, as well as the
improvement of the complex evaluation of data obtained
from geological and geophysical investigation of collec-
tors during drilling operations.
The seismic prospecting will comprise the identifica-
62 SPEECHES PRESENTED ATTHE OPENING CEREMONY
tion of structures placed in tectonically complicated areas
and those difficult of access, of new tectonic blocks in the
producing areas and litho-stratigraphic traps, situated
especially at the border of depressions and platforms,
evidencing the ultra-deep geological structures, and
completion of works on the Continental Platform of the
Black Sea.
Moreover, a large volume of geological drilling will be
carried out to speed up the gathering of the geological
data in the areas compriiing complex traps of ultra-deep
projects as well as for the investigation of the great
number of structures of reduced size.
3. OIL DRILLING AND PRODUCTION
As regards well drilling, the continuous improvement
of the working speed and cutting of execution costs is
nowadays aimed at as well as the extension of the works
into new, more difficult and deeper areas.
As shown in Fig. 2, drilling has rapidly developed and
diversified, reaching 657 O00 m in 1950, of which 44%
was exploration drilling, and 1 100 O00 m in 1960, of
which 58% was exploration. During the last 15 years over
1.5 million m were drilled yearly. Since 1960 geological
surveys have started drilling down to over 4000 m; over
150 wells were drilled, averaging 800 O00 m. The deepest
level reached was 6504 m.
This important improvement in the works was
achieved as a result of sophistication of drilling equip-
ment, assimilation of new technologies and training of
personnel.
The sophistication of drilling technologies, especially
with very deep wells, consisted of improvement in bit
power, in pressures and rotations, and in hydraulic
power, respectively, and their optimum correlation, using
the entire working capabilities of the bits (teeth and
bearings); improvement in the efficiency of power
transmitted from the bit to the rock using the optimum
types of bits and drilling fluids, having low density and
viscosity, i.e. with low solids content; improvement and
diversification of the technological methods of preventing
and controlling difficult drilling operations specific to
Romania (instability of clays, abnormal pressure forma-
tions, marked tendency of natural deviation, mud losses);
and the preparation of new types of drilling fluids-
electrolyte-inhibitive fluids, oil-base fluids of the ‘reverse
emulsion’ and ‘oil fluid’ types, low solids content non-
dispersed fluids and sea-water base fluids.
Higher power transmission to the bit during displace-
ment with deeper drilling was achieved by optimization
of drilling technology for each ultra-deep well; moderni-
zation of measurement and control apparatus for drilling ;
diversification of bottom-hole equipment to ensure high
pressure (2-4 tonslin) bits, drill collars and stabilizers;
improvement of control procedures for the tubular goods
at the tubular bases and wells in order to prevent
accidents with growing momentum of the rotary table;
RP 1 (b)
and the introduction of computers to the data flow of the
drilling process.
In order to improve the efficiency of power transmis-
sion from the bit to the rock, i.e. to improve the rock
drilling, continuous control of the pressure and fracturing
gradients was introduced during the drilling process. The
optimum characteristics of the drilling fluids were settled
in this way and the equipment to improve the drilling
fluids-modern screens, de-sanders, de-sillers, de-gas-
ers-was perfected.
The new technologies implied the development of an
ample programme of technological research and a
continuous training of the technical and engineering
personnel working in drilling activity.
As a result of the discovery of new deposits and large-
scale application of methods for improving recovery,
crude oil production has been continuously improved
from 1948 to the present (Fig. 3).
Oil production in Romania comprises all production
systems, natural flow, gas-lift and pumping. The geolog-
ical and physical characteristics of the reservoirs and the
contained fluids have always raised technological prob-
lems related to the lifting depth, the existence of sand in
the extracted fluids, paraffin and corrosion agents.
Consequently, the production systems by natural flow,
gas-lift and pumping have continuously developed. The
gas-lift systems use starting and operating valves and
accumulation chambers. Sucker rod pumping is used for
wells down to 3500 m, using Romanian-made equipment.
Hydraulic pumping is also extended for deep high-flow
producing wells.
Depending on the geological and physical conditions
of the reservoirs the wells are continuously controlled
and the technological working conditions are determined
to provide their production at potential outputs. Methods
for stimulation of the well output have been greatly
developed using Romanian products, equipment and
technologies.
Romanian oil specialists have proficiently and respon-
sibly undertaken the supply of the power required for the
growth of the national economy and of raw materials for
the chemical industry mainly from our own resources-
an important problem which during the last decade the
whole world, and consequently our country as well, has
been faced with. The task of improving the recovery
factor of crude oil deposits is considered as one of major
national importance. With this aim in view, a complex
programme was drawn up to carry on the large-scale use
of the conventional and improved approaches aiming at
enhancing the recovery factor (Figs. 4 and 5). At the
same time the experimentation, utilization and extension
of new methods was carried out-underground (in situ)
combustion, steam injection, polymer-water injection,
micellar solution injection, etc.4epending on the con-
dition of our deposits.
Water injection into the crude oil deposits, introduced
in 1952, has been extended annually and by the end of
1978 was being used withover 100 projects. The quantity
 20-

18 /

-,r\ /‘LRc/’
16

.
i . \ / I

14
I

15

- 0
1857 1860 1870 1880
.. .

I€
-
o I!
rrrrrrrri

70 I 30
T I M E , YEARS
Fig. 3. Romania’s oil production during the period 1857-1978.

of water injected reached a volume of 36.75 million m3 in
1978. As a result of such processes, conditions for
obtaining final recovery factors of 4040% were created
and the excess production including the effect of new
methods has improved each year, amounting to more
than 2 million tons in 1978 (Figs. 6 and 7).
Particular efforts were made to start the field applica-
tion and industrial development of the new recovery
methods at the same time as laboratory research. Thus,
polymer-water injection was tested in the Drãgãeqti
Meotian and Southern Moreni Meotian III in 1977. The
results were favourable.
64 SPEECHES PRESENTED ATTHE OPENING CEREMONY RP 1 (b)

Regarding in situ combustion, the Pliocene reservoir at

PROGRAM Sublacul de Barcãu has been the research laboratory due
160 to the favourable geological and geophysical conditions :
shallow depth, good permeability, viscous oil. Nowadays
- WATERFLOOD, GAS INJECTION this method is applied on a large scale. 1.8-2.0 million
<n 140
-- IN SITU COMBUSTION, STEAM SOAK
Nm3 of air is injected daily through 42 wells and 156
I- YMER,MICELLAR/POLYMER, CAUSTIC
O
w
reaction wells are under combustion influence. The
>
o 120
process has been continuously improved and good results
m
n
were obtained by wet combustion. In this way the 9%
recovery factor estimated by primary recovery could
w 100
> reach 45-50%.
-
I- Right now another in situ combustion industrial
O

Q BO
process is under way in the Dacian of Gura Ocnifei, and
two new experiments have been evaluated for extension
industrially. Another 14 combustion experiments are
60 being developed between 500 and 850 m. The method is
also being successfully used with less viscous oil deposits.
40
Steam injection, as cyclic injection resulting in produc-
tion improvement, is applied with heavy and viscous
crude oil recovery at the Moreni Levantine high-sloped
20 strata deposit containing viscous oil. From a practically
non-operable deposit we managed to make 290 tons of
O
1
T I M E , YEARS

Fig. 4. Enhanced oil recovery: active projects, including

conventional methods.

T I M E , YEARS

Fig. 5. Volumes of water, gas (+CO,), air and steam injected Fig. 6. Oil production from enhanced recovery activity, includ-
annually. ing conventional methods.
RP 1 (b) SPEECHES PRESENTED ATTHE OPENING CEREMONY 65
START EOR
PROGRAM

00 -

70 - START
a
W
I-
V>

V>
z
e
a
o
60-

50-
WATER AND GAS
INJECTION

J
0

40-
c
O
3 OIL PRODUCTION WITHOUT EOR METHODS
n
30-
a
2 TOTAL OIL PRODUCTION (WITH EOR METHODS)
O
20 -

-ENHANCED OIL PRODUCTION, io6 TONS

L
1946-1950 I 1951-1955 I 1956-1960 I 1961-1965 I 1966-1970 I 1971-1975 I 1976-1980 1
S T E P S , YEARS

Fig. 7. Steps in enhanced oil production.

crude oil per day by steam cyclic injection, providing the
conditions to achieve a recovery factor of 35% as
compared to 5% obtained by primary recovery over a
long period.
Laboratory researches have resulted in micellar sys-
tems at favourable costs having a satisfactory monophase
domain. Researches were carried out and experimenta-
tion of the method was prepared for eight geological
projects.
Carbon dioxide injection was studied and designed for
two reservoirs. Water injection is now being carried out
with the first reservoir for pressure recovery and to
provide the conditions for mixing the carbon dioxide.
With the second reservoir carbon dioxide is being
injected into the production shut-off wells; pressure
improvement, solubility effect and minimization of
viscosity are aimed at.
Besides these methods, researches are under way to
test and apply the injection of surface-active and alkaline
chemicals and to apply mining methods to shallow oil-
producing sands and tar sands. At the same time the
conventional processes are being improved by changing
the flow courses and water injection up the structure; the
activity of increasing the drilled density and the comple-
tion of well spacing on the depleted deposits are also
being intensified.
Further to the application of the methods comprised
by the programme for crude oil recovery, the final average
recovery factor is estimated to reach about 42% in 1990
for the whole country.
As regards well drilling and crude oil production, new
technologies and products are to be worked out, especially
for very deep and offshore wells. Since the potential of
the conventional methods for crude oil recovery has been
progressively turned to account, special attention will be
given to improvement of secondary and tertiary recovery
methods and much effort will be made to developing new
methods based on entirely different principles.
99% of the associated gas produced with crude oil is
used. The gasoline quantity increased from 153 408 tons
in 1950 to 345 035 tons in 1978. For a better turning into
account of the associated gas, the first ethane separation
plant was put into operation at Pite@ and in 1979 a
second plant of the same type is being put into operation
in Oltenia.
For the last 30 years our Government has granted
important funds for geological investigation and the
turning into account of new gas-producing structures.
Consequently, methane gas production reached 28 973 x
lo9 Nm3 in 1978. The development of natural gas
production was accompanied by the improvement of the
main pipeline network, 8255 km long at the end of 1978,
ensuring gas supply all over the country. The overall
power of the diesel motor assemblies and turbocompres-
66 SPEECHES PRESENTED ATTHE OPENING CEREMONY RP 1 (b)

sors making up the national transport system is 72 O00 hp.

Two underground gas storage processes are carried out to
satisfy peak demands.
Romanian methane gas contains no sulphur and the
methane content is up to 99.8%. This has resulted in the
development of a powerful chemical processing and
synthesis industry. However, extensive measures have
been taken in the last few years to restrict gas utilization
in the combustion process, on the basis that gas is being
designed more and more for chemical processing.

4. CRUDE OIL PROCESSING

By World War II, crude oil was being processed in
more than 30 refineries, most of them of under 150 O00
tons crude oil/year processing capacity. The development
and modernization of the crude oil processing industry 7-
197o 1979 1985
has followed a lively course, specificto our whole industry
TIME, YEARS
during the past 30 years.
The period extending to 1960 is characterized by Fig. 8. Increase in the processing capacity of crude oil in
reconstruction of the refineries destroyed during the war, Romania (1970= 100%).
extension of the processing capacities of the existing
refineries and building of new refineries; the main object
was to provide the processing capabilities for our entire the increase in the volume of processed crude oil, the
crude oil industry under continuous development.
During 1960-70 an intense improvement of the quantity of raw materials for the petrochemical industry
performances of old equipment and the introduction of will be 4 times larger in 1980 than the quantity achieved
modern processes operating at the international technical in 1970. With this end in view, new chemical refineries
have been built, integrated in petrochemical complexes,
level took place ; such processes provided both high-
quality carburants and fuels and increased quantities of providing a large range of raw materials for the
raw materials for the petrochemical industry. petrochemical industries.
After 1970 a substantial increase in processing capac-
ities was recorded by building new refineries and
integrated petrochemical complexes, plus extension and
modernization of existing plants, aiming at meeting
higher demands for oil products for domestic use and
export. Nowadays the quantity of Cnide oil processed in
our country is 1.5 times higher as compared with 1970; in
1985 the quantity of processed crude oil will be 1.7 times
higher (Fig. 8) through new capacities being put into
operation.
The structure of the oil products obtained by crude oil
processing is determined, on one hand, by the energy
demands of the country and on the other hand by the
demands required by the rapid development of the entire
industry. In Romania, as in the rest of the world, the
major part of the products resulting from crude oil
processing is designed for energy purposes. Considering
the continuous increase in the price of crude oil,
processing had to be directed to a structure ensuring a
higher taking into account of non-energy products.
Consequently, the development of crude oil processing is
marked by a substantial increase in the quantities of raw
materials for the petrochemical industry. Thus, expressed
in percentages against the quality of processed crude oil,
in 1975 raw materials for the petrochemical industry
represented about 8.3%, in 1978 about lo%, amounting
to 16% in 1980 and 19.7% in 1985 (Fig. 9). Considering Fig. 9. Increase in chemical processing degree of crude oil.
RP I (b) SPEECHES PRESENTED ATTHE OPENING CEREMONY 67

As regards energy petroleum products, the increase in
their quantity will be different, diesel oil undertaking the
best increase as a result of developments in machine
building towards a larger use of diesel oil in transport.
Gasoline for cars recorded the lowest increase as the
demands are not high and this was the basis for raw
materials produced for the chemical industry (aromatic
hydrocarbons, liquefied gas such as propylene, propane,
CH fraction, etc).
Among the non-energy products obtained by crude oil
processing we can single out the raw materials for gas
black, paraffin, road and industrial bitumen and a large
range of lubricating oils including the additives needed
for superior oil processing.
According to the structure of the applied technological
processes, crude oil processing in our country occupies
an intermediate position between the USA and Western
Europe.
Generally, the technologies now in use and those to be
introduced are the same as the technologies used
throughout the world for mixed-type refineries (with
carburants, fuels and petrochemical products).
The increased share of the sulphur crude oils has
resulted in an intensification of hydrogenation processes,
reaching an overall capacity of more than 48% in 1980,
as compared to primary distillation, and this will continue
to grow (Fig. loa). From this point of view, Romania is
at the same level as the USA, Japan and Western Europe.
Hydrogenation processes are applied to gasoline (for raw
materials undergoing reformation and pyrolysis), petro-
leums (to obtain turboreactor fuels), diesel oil and
lubricating oils. All the hydrogenation processes men-
tioned above developed as a result of our own researches.
In future developments (1980-85) the hydrodesulphur-
ization process will be applied to vacuum distillates as
well ;this process was developed according to a Romanian
licence.
Catalytic cracking is one of the processes undergoing
a rapid development in Romania, aiming at hydrocarbon
production for the petrochemical industry as well as
gasoline for cars. The processing capacity of catalytic
cracking is now 18% of that of atmospheric distillation;
this proportion will be maintained in the future (Fig.
lob).
The capacity of catalytic reforming of gasolines is over
11% as compared with primary distillation; this propor-
tion will amount to 15.6% in 1985 (Fig. 1Oc). The units
erected in our country by 1975 are operating at high and
medium pressures. The newly-built units are prepared to
operate under low pressure using promoter catalysts and
with the possibility of switching to continuous
regeneration.
One of the processes greatly developed in Romania is
the process of delayed coking, favoured by the quality of
Romanian crude oils (sulphur content under 0.5%).
Investigating the possibilities of turning into account
the residues resulting from sulphur crude oils, conditions
were started to use the coke coming from such crude oils
as agglutinate and agglomerate fuel. This allowed the
coking capacity to stay high as compared to the primary

60

50-
-
a

1
54.9 o/
distillation, i.e. 8%; this proportion is to reach up to 13%
by 1985 (Fig. 10d). All coking production is developed on
the basis of a Romanian licence to obtain different coke
qualities, including needle coke. A whole range of
Romanian processes were drawn up, the installations
40 - being ready or under way, such as the production of high
efficiency solvents aromatic hydrocarbons, the produc-
30- tion of aromatic concentrates for gas black, and the
separation of isoprene and cyclopentanide from pyrolysis
-02 gasoline, including a large range of catalysers for crude
1970 1979 1985 1970 1979 1985 oil processing and the petrochemical industry. Such
TIME ,YEARS TiME,YEARS achievements are based on long practice in the research
field, specialists with long practice in the production field
C working in refineries and chemical complexes and the
16 15.6% Institutes for Research, Technological Engineering and
1s
Refinery Design.
CATALYTIC
14 REFORMATION 5. MANUFACTURE OF OILFIELD EQUIPMENT
13
The dramatic development of the oil- and gas-produc-
12 ing industry and of crude oil processing and the
petrochemical industry in Romania was made possible
11
11% by the development of oilfield equipment construction as
1970 1979 Ise5 1970 is79 isas well.
TIME,YEARS TIME ,YEARS We can mention some of the drilling rigs: 3 DH-200
Fig. 10. Evolutionof the main processes in crude oil processing to drill down to 5000m; 4 DH-315 to drill down to
(as percentage of processed crude oil). 7000 m; F-500-DEWL, Ward Leonard system electric
68 SPEECHES PRESENTED ATTHE OPENING CEREMONY
drive, provided with a 3000hp drilling winch and
1600 hp mud pumps to drill down to 10 O00 m; and the
offshore drilling platform ‘Gloria’ of self-lifting type,
designed to drill wells down to 6000 m in 90 m water
depth.
Cementing units are also produced for drilling activi-
ties, and hydraulic fracturing for 700 and 1050 atm, blow-
out prevention units for 1400 atm, machinery for auto-
mation of drilling operation, measurement and control
apparatus, a large range of types and sizes of drilling bits,
tubular goods, etc.
For oil production we produce pumps, pumping rods
and ten types of pumping units, from 0.9 to 19.3 tons;
strokes are from 0.2 and 5 m. The crude oil processing
industry and the petrochemical industry are supplied
with columns for atmospheric distillation, tubular
hearths, gravitational separators, tanks with capacities
to 10 O00 m3, spherical tanks, refrigeration sets, meas-
urement and control apparatus, etc.
For the future, the Romanian oilfield equipment
industry aims at manufacturing equipment to satisfy the
technological operations related to geological investiga-
tion, drilling and putting into operation of very deep and
offshore wells, new technological processes related to
gathering, separation and preparation of fluids, applica-
tion of crude oil recovery methods and the new processing
methods.
As is already known, Romania ranks second in the
world as regards the export of oilfield equipment. The
working out of new products and installations and new
or improved technologies was designed by our design
and research institutes in cooperation with the production
companies.
Within the crude oil and gas industry, the Institute for
Oil and Gas Design and Research functions in Cîmpina.
This institute is concerned in carrying out geological,
geophysical and geotechnical studies and investigations,
study of modem drilling methods, new or improved
technologies for crude oil and gas production, reservoir
engineering, complex designs for surface installations in
the oil- and gas-producing fields, transport and storage of
crude oil and gas, and port installations.
The drawing up of new technologies specific for crude
oil processing is carried out in the Institute for Research,
Technological Engineering and Refinery Design at
Ploiepi ;the Institute draws up original processes, designs
for complex installations and refineries, and technical
assistance in carrying out and putting into operation of
the plants.
The researches and designs for oil installations are
carried out by the Institute for Petroleum and Mining
Equipment at Ploiegti, which mainly draws up the
designs for execution of complete installations required
by drilling of wells and crude oil and gas production,
including mechanization and automation devices.
The undergraduate staff is trained in the special high
schools and the graduate staff is trained in the institute
for Oil and Gas at Ploiegti. The Institute comprises three
RP 1 (6)
faculties, the Well Drilling and Oil and Gas Exploitation
Faculty, the Technological Equipment Faculty and the
Faculty for Oil and Gas Technology and Chemical
Processing. Over 3400 students attend the lectures at this
Institute yearly; there are 570 foreign students from 77
countries. The Institute periodically gives lectures spon-
sored by UNESCO.
The experience in geological investigations, well
drilling and crude oil and gas production gained by our
oil specialists, and the quality of the equipment made in
Romania, has made it possible for our country to be
represented abroad, through a variety of forms of
cooperation and works and services rendered.
Aiming at improving cooperation, ‘Rompetrol’ was
established to carry out works and studies of concern to
the crude oil producing industry as well as designing and
delivering complete oilfield installations. The main
projects this company carries out abroad are :
- preliminary geological studies to evaluate the general
oil potential of some sedimentary basins or parts of
them;
-expertise in the oil prospects of certain areas of
interest, evaluating the geological and recoverable
reserves and drawing up programmes for prospecting
and exploration works;
- geological prospecting works by surface mapping and
shallow well drilling, gravimetric, magnetometric,
electrometric and seismic surveys carried out with
complete teams;
- drilling of wells down to 7000 m with modern Roman-
ian-made equipment and highly skilled personnel;
- feasibility studies and designs for construction of main
pipelines carrying oil and gas, compressor stations,
injection, degasolination, gas-drying units, etc.
‘Rompetrol’, the Romanian company for economic
cooperation in the field of geological investigation, well
drilling and crude oil and gas production, has relation-
ships with partners from over 40 countries, thus, seismic
surveys in Iraq and Syria, geological investigations and
drilling works in Afghanistan, Benin, Burma, the Phil-
ippines, Ghana, Greece, Libya, Turkey and Venezuela
have been carried out or are planned. Pipelines and
various installations are under construction in oil fields
in Bulgaria, Jordan, Yugoslavia, the Arab Republic of
Yemen, etc.
Such success in exporting installations and services
specific to the oil- and gas-producing industry has been
possible as a result of the multilateral development of
Romania, intensifying commercial relations and techni-
cal, economic and scientificcooperation with all countries
of the world-no matter what social and economic system
they adopt-based on the principles of consideration of
sovereignty and national independence, equality of
rights, non-interference with domestic interests and
mutual advantage.
This cooperation activity has played a major part in
UP ? (b) SPEECHES PRESENTED ATTHE OPENING CEREMONY
crude oil processing and petrochemical activities. Tech-
nical values were created and exchanged with foreign
partners making it possible to carry out modern instal-
lations, scientific researches in cooperation and changes
of specialists for technical assistance in Romania, in
third countries and in developing countries. We have
carried out installations in cooperation with India,
Pakistan, the People’s Republic of China, the GDR,
Syria, Jordan and other countries; other projects are
currently under negotiation.
The Romanian petroleum industry has mainly devel-
69
oped on the basis of an original concept concerning
technologies, products and equipment. Financial and
material efforts have permitted the industry to preserve
a high technical level, close to the world level. New
efforts will be made in the future to improve geological
investigations all over the country, the discovery and
turning into account of new crude oil and gas reserves,
through examination and diversification of crude oil
processing, and the drawing up and building of highly
operational new equipment and machinery.