the petroleum industry in romania

8/2/2019 The Petroleum Industry in Romania

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THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY IN ROMANIA

I. Antonicã, A. Stoica and Gh. Pacoste, Republican Committeefor Geological Reserves, Rom ania

Abstract. The existence of hydrocarbons in Rom ania was attested many centuries ago, but 1857 marked the beginningof the Rom anian oil industry; in tha t year the first official crude oil production, 275 tons, was registered and the first oilrefinery put into operation a t Ploie.$. Du ring the last 15 years drilling has developed rapidly and diversified; over 1.5million m were drilled yearly. Geological investigations, drilling down to over 4000 m, started in 1960, the deepestdrilling reaching 6504 m. C rude oil production in Rom ania involves all the systems provided with continuousIy improvedtechnologies, clearing up problems related to lifting depth, presence of sand in the extracted fluids, paraffin andcorrosives. Conventional and improved m ethods were Iargely applied t o expand the recavery factor and new methodswere experimented with, applied and extended, e.g. in Situ combustion, steam injection, polymer-water and rnicellarsolution injection, etc. Natu ral 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 ofthe growing importance of sour crude oil, the application of hydrogenation processing intensified an d in 1980 will reach48% more th an the primary distillation. Catalytic cracking as well as catalytic gasoline reforming has also recorded ahigh rate of growth in Rom ania. T he retarded coking project has greatly improved, favoured by the quality of Rom aniancrude oil. The d ram atic progress of the oil- an d gas-producing indu stry, of crude oil processing an d of the petrochemicalindustry in Romania was rendered possible by the development of the domestic industry manufacturing oil equipment,placing ou r country second in the world as regards the export of such products and m aking possible the assertion ofRomania on the world marke t through various forms of cooperation, works and services.

1. INTRODUCTION

The existence of hydrocarbons in Romania is attestedfrom ancient times. During the Roman Empire therewere ‘unextinguished fires’ at Lopãtari and some 16th-century documents attest the use of crude oil in drugpreparation, wheel greasing or lighting.

1857 marks the beginning of the oil industry inRomania, when the first official oil production wasrecorded-275 tons-and the first kerosene refinery putinto operation at Ploie+. Bucharest, the capital of thecountry, was among the first towns in the world to be litwith kerosene.

From the pioneering era of the oil industry in Romaniawe 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 wasdrilled down to 150 m in 1861 and the first wire percussiontype well was drilled in 1863. In 1906 the first rotarysystem well was drilled and in 191 1 this system reached1170 m.

Early this century, studies carried out by the Romaniangeologists Gr. Cobãlcescu and Gr. Stefãnescu on the ageof the productive formatiuns and position of the reservoirsresulted in certain clarifications of the subsoil geology inour country and the drawing-up of some geological maps.

During 1900-03 L. Mrazek, one o f 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 theSub-Carpathian Mountains, between Buzãu Valley andDîmbovija Valley, in the so-called ‘diapir folds zone’comprising one of the major crude oil deposits inRomania.

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 overthe 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 reached172O00 m in 1920, 376 900 m in 1934 and 395 O00 m in1937, 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 847O00 tons in 1913and 8 704 O00 tons in 1936, when the highest productionlevel was recorded in our country before World War II .

Although gas emanations from erosion-contaminatedTransylvanian structures had been known since ancient

times, the systematic exploitation of natural gas startedin our country during the first decade of the 20th century.In 1908 the Sãrmãgel 2 well, drilled to find potassiumsalts, showed evidence of an important gas reservoir. In1913 the first industrial gas production was recorded,113O00 Nm3; in 1938 gas production was 311million Nm3 and in 1944, 457.7 million Nm3.

We must point out that Romania was the first countryin Europe to use natural gas as a raw material in the

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chemical industry, namely to produce carbon black atCopsa Mica in 1935 and formaldehyde at Copsa Mica in1940. Since 1948 methane gas has been used to produceammonia.

At the same time as the development of crude oilproduction the refining process developed too, almostthe whole production being processed in this country,especially by primary distillation. In 1897 a refinery wasput into operation at Cîmpina to process 1200 tons ofcrude 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 onhydrocarbon resources in our country. Lazar Edeleanuthought out the method of selective refining of keroseneby sulphur dioxide, a method continuously improved andnow extended all over the world, in 1908. In 1933C. 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 hydrocarboninvestigation we must mention N. Dãnãilã who, beforeWorld 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 inRomania even at the beginning of the oil industry.

To train specialists, in 1904 the chief drillers’ schoolwas set up at Cîmpina, and in 1919 the refining foremen’sschool, and in 1914 a mines and oil department wasestablished to prepare engineers, sponsored by the‘Bridge and Roads High School’ in Bucharest.

As a result of war damage during World War I I and ofthe cut-back in drilling volume, especially geologicaldrilling, crude oil production was only 3 525 000 tons in1944 and 3 838 850 tons in 1947.

In 1948, following the nationalization of the means ofproduction, the oil and gas industry was reorganized andre-equipped, making it possible to apply a rationalexploitation and to grant important funds to improve it.

As part of the economic development programme ofRomania, crude oil and gas became not only the basis offuels, carburants and lubricants but also the basis of rawmaterials for chemical processing.

The investments assigned to the oil industry aimed atthe improvement of hydrocarbon reserves, and theplacing of greater emphasis on the oil and gas industry,as well as the development of the oil equipment industry.

2. GEOLOGY OF THE ROMANIANTERRITORY

Considering the insufficient knowledge of hydrocarbonreserves, during the last 30 years a vast programme ofgeological investigation was applied ail over the country’s

territory. The programme aimed at the discovery of newreservoirs both in known and in scarcely known areas.

As a result of carrying out an important volume ofgeological operations, the sedimentary structure compiy-ing with favourable geological conditions for hydrocar-bon accumulation (Fig. 1) shows the followingcharacteristics:- arpathian Orogene, with the East Carpathian

Depression and the Getic Depression;- nter-Carpathian, with the Transylvanian Depres-sion, the Pannonian Depression and the Maramure5Depression ;- arpathian Foreland, separating the Moesic Plat-form, the Northern Dobrudja Orogene, the Pre-Dobrudja Depression, the Moldavian Platform andthe 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 geologicaloperations :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 largestructural units and to the identification of some of themajor survey zones.

Electrometric prospecting was carried out over alimited area in the first stages of geological investigation.Since its efficiency was very low compared with theseismic survey, this method was not extended.

Seismic investigations-the most efficient method-were carried out over the entire territory of the countryusing 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 recordingand automatic data processing. The average density ofmeasurements varied according to the degree of relief,accessibility and method of resolution.

The seismic survey produced good results, providingpractically the entire knowledge of Pliocene and Sar-matic-Tortonian young deposit structure as well as theCretaceous and Jurassic structures in the CarpathianForeland, a t a depth of under 3500 m.

Less promising results were obtained as a result ofstratigraphic and lithological traps of very complicatedstructures and of the Low Miocene and Paleogeneoverthrust nappes deposits of the East CarpathianDepression and the Getic Depression, at a depth of over3500 m, as well as the deep Triassic and Paleozoic of theEastern Carpathian Foreland.

Geological prospecting and exploration drilling hasdeveloped extensively, new deposits being discovered inthe old Moldavian and Valea Prahovey oil areas, at thesame time proving the oil and gas Potentials of the GeticDepression, the Moesic Platform, the Northern Dobrudja



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T H E PE O PL E 'S R E P U B L I C OF B U L G A R I A

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

Orogene, the Moldavian Platform and the PannonianDepression. Over 300 structures are now producing gasor oil.

Most of the traps controlling the accumulations are ofthe structural type, in spite of their various forms, fromsimple fold closed monoclines (Northern Danube plain)and domes (Transylvanian Depression) to the entirerange of salt diapir folds and scale folds making up theoverthrust nappes of the Carpathian flysch. Controlledaccumulations of non-structural and combined trapswere 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 andpractically all the gas reserves discovered to date in theentire country. The Paleogene, especially the Oligocene,is productive in the Carpathians and the Mesozoic andPaleozoic in the Romanian Plain. The crystalline schistbasement from the Neozoic substratum is productive aswell over some structures in the Pannonian Depression.Most of the reservoirs are comprised within the classicsand and sandstone deposits, and in the Mesozoic and

Paleozoic the reservoirs are represented by limes andfractured or hollow dolomite.

For geological prospecting of boreholes, the method ofinvestigating the content of the collectors crossed duringdrilling with improved testers has been extended, thepressure and temperature being determined at the sametime. For well geophysics the industry has been providedwith modem equipment used to carry out complex logsallowing the quantitative determination of collectorgeological and physical parameters.

Henceforth geological surveys will be carried outintensively, priority being given to the development ofscientific research, seismic prospecting and geologicaldrilling.

The scientific research will focus on the determinationof the geological conditions of hydrocarbon accumula-tions, especially in the areas comprising complicatedtectonics and litho-stratigraphic traps, as well as theimprovement of the complex evaluation of data obtainedfrom geological and geophysical investigation of collec-tors during drilling operations.

The seismic prospecting will comprise the identifica-



62 SPEECHES PRESENTED AT TH E O PENING CEREM ONY RP 1 (b)

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 100O00 m in 1960, of

which 58% was exploration. During the last 15years over

1.5 million m were drilled yearly. Since 1960 geological

surveys have started drilling down to over 4000 m; over

150wells were drilled, averaging 800O00m. The deepest

level reached was 6504m.

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;

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 (i n situ)

combustion, steam injection, polymer-water injection,

micellar solution injection, et c. 4e pe nd in g 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 100projects. The quantity



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of water injected reached a volume of 36.75 million m3 in1978. As a result of such processes, conditions forobtaining final recovery factors of 4 0 4 0% were createdand the excess production including the effect of newmethods has improved each year, amounting to morethan 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 recoverymethods at the same time as laboratory research. Thus,polymer-water injection was tested in the DrãgãeqtiMeotian and Southern Moreni Meotian III in 1977. Theresults were favourable.



64 SPEECHES PRESENTED ATT HE OPEN ING CEREMONY RP 1 (b )

PROGRAM

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Regarding in situ combustion, the Pliocene reservoir atSublacul de Barcãu has been the research laboratory dueto the favourable geological and geophysical conditions :shallow depth, good permeability, viscous oil. Nowadaysthis method is applied on a large scale. 1.8-2.0 millionNm3 of air is injected daily through 42 wells and 156reaction wells are under combustion influence. Theprocess has been continuously improved and good resultswere obtained by wet combustion. In this way the 9%recovery factor estimated by primary recovery couldreach 45-50%.

Right now another in situ combustion industrialprocess is under way in the Dacian of Gura Ocnifei, andtwo new experiments have been evaluated for extensionindustrially. Another 14 combustion experiments arebeing developed between 500 and 850 m. The method isalso being successfully used with less viscous oil deposits.

Steam injection, as cyclic injection resulting in produc-tion improvement, is applied with heavy and viscouscrude oil recovery at the Moreni Levantine high-slopedstrata deposit containing viscous oil. From a practicallynon-operable deposit we managed to make 290 tons of

Fig. 4. Enhanced oil recovery: active projects, includingconventional methods.

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Fig. 5. Volumes of water, gas (+CO,), air and steam injectedannually.

Fig. 6. Oil production from enhanced recovery activity, includ-ing conventional methods.



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OIL PRODUCTION WITHOUT EOR METHODS

TOTAL OI L PRODUCTION (WITH EOR METHODS)

START EORPROGRAM

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

Fig. 7. Steps in enhanced oil production.

crude oil per day by steam cyclic injection, providing theconditions to achieve a recovery factor of 35% ascompared to 5% obtained by primary recovery over along period.

Laboratory researches have resulted in micellar sys-tems at favourable costs having a satisfactory monophasedomain. Researches were carried out and experimenta-tion of the method was prepared for eight geologicalprojects.

Carbon dioxide injection was studied and designed fortwo reservoirs. Water injection is now being carried outwith the first reservoir for pressure recovery and toprovide the conditions for mixing the carbon dioxide.With the second reservoir carbon dioxide is beinginjected into the production shut-off wells; pressureimprovement, solubility effect and minimization ofviscosity are aimed at.

Besides these methods, researches are under way to

test and apply the injection of surface-active and alkalinechemicals and to apply mining methods to shallow oil-producing sands and tar sands. At the same time theconventional processes are being improved by changingthe flow courses and water injection up the structure; theactivityof increasing the drilled density and the comple-tion of well spacing on the depleted deposits are alsobeing intensified.

Further to the application of the methods comprised

by the programme for crude oil recovery, the final averagerecovery factor is estimated to reach about 42% in 1990for the whole country.As regards well drilling and crude oil production, new

technologies and products are to be worked out, especiallyfor very deep and offshore wells. Since the potential ofthe conventional methods for crude oil recovery has beenprogressively turned to account, special attention will begiven to improvement of secondary and tertiary recoverymethods and much effort will be made to developing newmethods based on entirely different principles.

99% of the associated gas produced with crude oil isused. The gasoline quantity increased from 153 408 tonsin 1950 to 345 035 tons in 1978.For a better turning intoaccount of the associated gas, the first ethane separationplant was put into operation at Pite@ and in 1979 asecond plant of the same type is being put into operationin Oltenia.

For the last 30 years our Government has grantedimportant funds for geological investigation and theturning into account of new gas-producing structures.Consequently, methane gas production reached 28 973 x

lo9 Nm3 in 1978. The development of natural gasproduction was accompanied by the improvement of themain pipeline network, 8255 km long at the end of 1978,ensuring gas supply all over the country. The overallpower of the diesel motor assemblies and turbocompres-



66 SPEECHES PRESENTED ATTHE OPENING CEREMONY

sorsmaking up the national transport system is72 O00 hp.Two underground gas storage processes are carried out tosatisfy peak demands.

Romanian methane gas contains no sulphur and themethane content is up to 99.8%.This has resulted in thedevelopment of a powerful chemical processing andsynthesis industry. However, extensive measures havebeen taken in the last few years to restrict gas utilizationin the combustion process, on the basis that gas is beingdesigned more and more for chemical processing.

4. CRUDE OIL PROCESSING

By World War II, crude oil was being processed inmore than 30 refineries, most of them of under 150 O00tons crude oil/year processing capacity. The developmentand modernization of the crude oil processing industryhas followed a lively course, specific o our whole industryduring the past 30 years.

The period extending to 1960 is characterized byreconstruction of the refineries destroyed during the war,extension of the processing capacities of the existingrefineries and building of new refineries; the main objectwas to provide the processing capabilities for our entirecrude oil industry under continuous development.

During 1960-70 an intense improvement of theperformances of old equipment and the introduction ofmodern processes operating at the international technicallevel took place ; such processes provided both high-quality carburants and fuels and increased quantities ofraw materials for the petrochemical industry.

After 1970 a substantial increase in processing capac-ities was recorded by building new refineries andintegrated petrochemical complexes, plus extension andmodernization of existing plants, aiming at meetinghigher demands for oil products for domestic use andexport. Nowadays the quantity of Cnide oil processed inour country is 1.5 times higher as compared with 1970; in1985 the quantity of processed crude oil will be 1.7 timeshigher (Fig. 8) through new capacities being put intooperation.

The structure of the oil products obtained by crude oilprocessing is determined, on one hand, by the energydemands of the country and on the other hand by thedemands required by the rapid development of the entire

industry. In Romania, as in the rest of the world, themajor part of the products resulting from crude oilprocessing is designed for energy purposes. Consideringthe continuous increase in the price of crude oil,processing had to be directed to a structure ensuring ahigher taking into account of non-energy products.Consequently, the development of crude oil processing ismarked by a substantial increase in the quantities of rawmaterials for the petrochemical industry. Thus, expressedin percentages against the quality of processed crude oil,in 1975 raw materials for the petrochemical industryrepresented about 8.3%, in 1978 about lo%, amountingto 16% in 1980 and 19.7% in 1985 (Fig. 9). Considering

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Fig. 8. Increase in the processing capacity of crude oil inRomania (1970= 100%).

the increase in the volume of processed crude oil, thequantity of raw materials for the petrochemical industrywill be 4 times larger in 1980 than the quantity achievedin 1970. With this end in view, new chemical refinerieshave been built, integrated in petrochemical complexes,providing a large range of raw materials for thepetrochemical industries.

Fig. 9. Increase in chem ical processing degreeof crude oil.



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As regards energy petroleum products, the increase intheir quantity will be different, diesel oil undertaking thebest increase as a result of developments in machinebuilding towards a larger use of diesel oil in transport.Gasoline for cars recorded the lowest increase as thedemands are not high and this was the basis for rawmaterials produced for the chemical industry (aromatichydrocarbons, liquefied gas such as propylene, propane,CH fraction, etc).

Among the non-energy products obtained by crude oilprocessing we can single out the raw materials for gasblack, paraffin, road and industrial bitumen and a largerange of lubricating oils including the additives neededfor superior oil processing.

According to the structure of the applied technologicalprocesses, crude oil processing in our country occupiesan intermediate position between the USA and WesternEurope.

Generally, the technologies now in use and those to beintroduced are the same as the technologies usedthroughout 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 continueto grow (Fig. loa). From this point of view, Romania isat the same level as the USA, Japan and Western Europe.Hydrogenation processes are applied to gasoline (for raw

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Fig. 10. Evolutionof the main processes in crudeoilprocessing(as percentage of processed crude o il).

materials undergoing reformation and pyrolysis), petro-leums (to obtain turboreactor fuels), diesel oil andlubricating 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 aswell; his process was developed according to a Romanian

licence.Catalytic cracking is one of the processes undergoing

a rapid development in Romania, aiming at hydrocarbonproduction for the petrochemical industry as well asgasoline for cars. The processing capacity of catalyticcracking 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 over11% as compared with primary distillation; this propor-tion will amount to 15.6% in 1985 (Fig. 1Oc). The unitserected in our country by 1975 are operating at high andmedium pressures. The newly-built units are prepared tooperate under low pressure using promoter catalysts and

with the possibility of switching to continuousregeneration.

One of the processes greatly developed in Romania isthe process of delayed coking, favoured by the quality ofRomanian crude oils (sulphur content under 0.5%).

Investigating the possibilities of turning into accountthe residues resulting from sulphur crude oils, conditionswere started to use the coke coming from such crude oilsas agglutinate and agglomerate fuel. This allowed thecoking capacity to stay high as compared to the primarydistillation, i.e. 8%; this proportion is to reach up to 13%by 1985 (Fig. 10d). All coking production is developed onthe basis of a Romanian licence to obtain different cokequalities, including needle coke. A whole range of

Romanian processes were drawn up, the installationsbeing ready or under way, such as the production of highefficiency solvents aromatic hydrocarbons, the produc-tion of aromatic concentrates for gas black, and theseparation of isoprene and cyclopentanide from pyrolysisgasoline, including a large range of catalysers for crudeoil processing and the petrochemical industry. Suchachievements are based on long practice in the researchfield, specialists with long practice in the production fieldworking in refineries and chemical complexes and theInstitutes for Research, Technological Engineering andRefinery Design.

5. MAN UFAC TURE O F OILFIELD EQUIPMENT

The dramatic development of the oil- and gas-produc-ing industry and of crude oil processing and thepetrochemical industry in Romania was made possibleby the development of oilfield equipment construction aswell.

We can mention some of the drilling rigs: 3 DH-200to drill down to 5000m; 4 DH-315 to drill down to7000 m; F-500-DEWL, Ward Leonard system electric



68 SPEECHES PRESENTED ATTH E OPENING CEREMONY RP 1 (6)

drive, provided with a 3000hp drilling winch and1600 hp mud pumps to drill down to 10O00 m; and theoffshore drilling platform ‘Gloria’ of self-lifting type,designed to drill wells down to 6000 m in 90m waterdepth.

Cementing units are also produced for drilling activi-ties, and hydraulic fracturing for 700 and 1050atm, blow-out prevention units for 1400 atm, machinery for auto-mation of drilling operation, measurement and controlapparatus, a large range of types and sizes of drilling bits,tubular goods, etc.

For oil production we produce pumps, pumping rodsand ten types of pumping units, from 0.9 to 19.3 tons;strokes are from 0.2 and 5 m. The crude oil processingindustry and the petrochemical industry are suppliedwith columns for atmospheric distillation, tubularhearths, gravitational separators, tanks with capacitiesto 10O00m3, spherical tanks, refrigeration sets, meas-urement and control apparatus, etc.

For the future, the Romanian oilfield equipmentindustry aims at manufacturing equipment to satisfy thetechnological operations related to geological investiga-tion, drilling and putting into operation of very deep andoffshore wells, new technological processes related togathering, separation and preparation of fluids, applica-tion of crude oil recovery methods and the new processingmethods.

As is already known, Romania ranks second in theworld as regards the export of oilfield equipment. Theworking out of new products and installations and newor improved technologies was designed by our designand research institutes in cooperation with the productioncompanies.

Within the crude oil and gas industry, the Institute forOil 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 improvedtechnologies for crude oil and gas production, reservoirengineering, complex designs for surface installations inthe oil- and gas-producing fields, transport and storage ofcrude oil and gas, and port installations.

The drawing up of new technologies specific for crudeoil processing is carried out in the Institute for Research,Technological Engineering and Refinery Design atPloiepi ; he Institute draws up original processes, designsfor complex installations and refineries, and technicalassistance in carrying out and putting into operation ofthe plants.

The researches and designs for oil installations arecarried out by the Institute for Petroleum and MiningEquipment at Ploiegti, which mainly draws up thedesigns for execution of complete installations requiredby drilling of wells and crude oil and gas production,including mechanization and automation devices.

The undergraduate staff is trained in the special highschools and the graduate staff is trained in the institutefor Oil and Gas at Ploiegti. The Institute comprises three

faculties, the Well Drilling and Oil and Gas ExploitationFaculty, the Technological Equipment Faculty and theFaculty for Oil and Gas Technology and ChemicalProcessing. Over 3400 students attend the lectures at thisInstitute yearly; there are 570 foreign students from 77

countries. The Institute periodically gives lectures spon-sored by UNESCO.

The experience in geological investigations, welldrilling and crude oil and gas production gained by ouroil specialists, and the quality of the equipment made inRomania, has made it possible for our country to berepresented abroad, through a variety of forms ofcooperation and works and services rendered.

Aiming at improving cooperation, ‘Rompetrol’ wasestablished to carry out works and studies of concern tothe crude oil producing industry as well as designing anddelivering complete oilfield installations. The mainprojects this company carries out abroad are :- reliminary 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 recoverablereserves and drawing up programmes for prospectingand exploration works;- eological prospecting works by surface mapping andshallow well drilling, gravimetric, magnetometric,electrometric and seismic surveys carried out withcomplete teams;- rilling of wells down to 7000 m with modern Roman-ian-made equipment and highly skilled personnel;- easibility studies and designs for construction of mainpipelines carrying oil and gas, compressor stations,injection, degasolination, gas-drying units, etc.

‘Rompetrol’, the Romanian company for economiccooperation in the field of geological investigation, welldrilling and crude oil and gas production, has relation-ships with partners from over 40 countries, thus, seismicsurveys in Iraq and Syria, geological investigations anddrilling works in Afghanistan, Benin, Burma, the Phil-ippines, Ghana, Greece, Libya, Turkey and Venezuelahave been carried out or are planned. Pipelines andvarious installations are under construction in oil fieldsin Bulgaria, Jordan, Yugoslavia, the Arab Republic ofYemen, etc.

Such success in exporting installations and servicesspecific to the oil- and gas-producing industry has been

possible as a result of the multilateral development ofRomania, intensifying commercial relations and techni-cal, economic and scientific cooperation with all countriesof the world-no matter what social and economic systemthey adopt-based on the principles of consideration ofsovereignty and national independence, equality ofrights, non-interference with domestic interests andmutual advantage.

This cooperation activity has played a major part in



UP ? (b ) SPEECHES PRESENTED ATT HE OPE NING CEREM ONY 69

crude oil processing and petrochemical activities. Tech-nical values were created and exchanged with foreignpartners making it possible to carry out modern instal-lations, scientific researches in cooperation and changesof specialists for technical assistance in Romania, inthird countries and in developing countries. We havecarried out installations in cooperation with India,Pakistan, the People’s Republic of China, the GDR,Syria, Jordan and other countries; other projects arecurrently under negotiation.

The Romanian petroleum industry has mainly devel-

oped on the basis of an original concept concerningtechnologies, products and equipment. Financial andmaterial efforts have permitted the industry to preservea high technical level, close to the world level. Newefforts will be made in the future to improve geologicalinvestigations all over the country, the discovery andturning into account of new crude oil and gas reserves,through examination and diversification of crude oilprocessing, and the drawing up and building of highlyoperational new equipment and machinery.

the petroleum industry in romania

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