Arpechim Refinery

Arpechim Refinery was one of the largest Romanian refineries and one of the largest in Europe, located in Pitești, Argeș County, and had both refining and petrochemical capacities.[1] It was closed in 2011.[2] The refinery has two processing modules with a nominal capacity of 6.5 million tonnes/year.[1] Now only one of the two modules is operating with a capacity of 3.5 million tonnes/year or 70,000 bbl/d (11,000 m3/d).[1] The facility is connected by pipeline to the oil fields in the Oltenia Region and to the Port of Constanţa.[1] The refinery produces around 60% of all the bitumen used in Romania.[3]

Arpechim Refinery
General information
TypeOil refinery
LocationPitești, Argeș County
Elevation220 m (722 ft)
Completed1964
OwnerPetrom
Height180 metres (chimney)
Technical details
Floor area500 hectares (53,819,552 sq ft)

History

Arpechim was founded in 1964 in a strategic industrial zone located in Southern Romania near Pitești.[4] In the same year the refinery built its first plant specialised in the production of carbon black.[4] In 1967 another two distinct units were established, the Pitești Refinery and the Petrochemical Complex (Romanian: Rafinăria Piteşti şi Complexul petrochimic) and the Thermal Power Station (Romanian: Termocentrala).[4] In 1971 the refinery was integrated with the Petrochemical Complex. In 1997 the state established Petrom as the national oil company also including the Arpechim Refinery.[4] In 1999 Arpechim becomes the first refinery in Europe to produce and export diesel with a reduced sulfur content.[4] In 2005 the refinery concludes the building of a new gasoil hydrotreater and new hydrogen plant.[4]

In 2007, Petrom started negotiations with Oltchim (a major petrochemical company in Romania) for the sale of the petrochemical sector from the Arpechim Refinery.[5] The two companies agreed on the transaction and Oltchim had to pay around US$ 150 million to close the deal.[5] On February 17, 2009, Petrom decided to sell the petrochemical sector of the Arpechim Refinery to Oltchim for the price of 1 euro (US$ 1.25), but the buying company has to invest US$ 140 million in the sector due to contract clauses.[6]

The Arpechim Refinery closed in 2011. EUR 52m was allocated by OMV in 2022 for remedial work to the soil on the old site.[7]

References
  1. "Arpechim Refinery" (in Romanian). Prime Transaction. 2009-02-18. Archived from the original on 21 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-18.
  2. Petrom took the decision to permanently close the Arpechim refinery, OMV Petrom, 25 March 2011.
  3. "Arpechim, la capacitate maxima" (in Romanian). Evenimentul ZIlei. 2007-05-31. Retrieved 2009-02-18.
  4. "Petrom is the Largest Romanian Refiner". Petrom. 2009-02-18. Retrieved 2009-02-18.
  5. "100 mil. euro pentru rafinaria Arpechim" (in Romanian). Financiarul. 2009-01-06. Archived from the original on 9 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-18.
  6. "Petrom vrea sa vanda petrochimia pe 1 euro" (in Romanian). Financiarul. 2009-02-17. Archived from the original on 20 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-18.
  7. "Annual Report 2022" (PDF). 31 December 2022.

44.80°N 24.93°E / 44.80; 24.93

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