Rompetrol Rafinare and Rompetrol Petrochemicals, general planned maintenance during September 20 - N

Rompetrol Rafinare and Rompetrol Petrochemicals, companies within the Rompetrol Group, are to be shut down  during September 20 – November 1 for general planned maintenance. During this period, the two companies will ensure product deliveries to their clients from stocked inventories.

“This is a normal operation which complies withthe legal provisions into force regarding the operation of refineries, and is required in view of improving the manufacturing equipment and technologies (optimization of production, reduction of energy consumption and, implicitly, a significant decrease of toxic emissions). By the implementation of 61 new projects, the required premises are created for the Petromidia refinery to reach a processing capacity of 5 million tons of raw materials in 2012”, declares Arman Kairdenov, General Manager of Rompetrol Rafinare.

The works will be coordinated by Rominserv, the general contractor of the Rompetrol Group, and will involve 25 subcontractors with more than 2500 people of various specializations: mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, automation, civil engineering, purging treatment, anti-corrosive treatment, etc. The successful completion of such works will result in a better quality of our products at reduced costs, with more than 97% mechanical availability of the plants.

Therefore, during September 20 - November 1, works will be carried out including non-destructive tests, repairs, pressure tests, on 600 plants and 2,000 pipes, which will then be authorized according to the national and international regulations into force. At the same time, more than 400 new equipment and devices are to be integrated in the plants of the two companies. The latest general planned maintenance took place in October 2005.

For the safe performance of works and in order to achieve the zero accidents target, the companies on the Petromidia platform took additional occupational health and safety measures and have trained all subcontractors that are to perform their activity on the Petromidia platform during this period.

Rompetrol Rafinare has recorded*, during 2005 (the date of the latest planned maintenance) and the first half of 2010, a significant turnover growth, from USD 2.15 billion to USD 3.2 billion in 2009, and USD 1.76 billion during the first half of this year, an increase in the quantity of raw materials processed, from 3.25 million tons in 2005 o more than 4 million tons in 2009 and 1.95 million tons in the first half of 2010.

During 2005 – July 2010, the total volume of products exported by Rompetrol Rafinare was in excess of 8.5 million tons, while its contribution to the state budget reached more than USD 5.1 billion.

* The consolidated financial statements of Rompetrol Rafinare include the results of Rompetrol Rafînare S.A. and the results 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.).