Rompetrol Rafinare celebrates 50 years since the pouring of the first foundation pillar of the Petromidia refinery. This milestone paved the way for the construction of Romania's largest refining complex, which today directly contributes to the country's energy security.
On July 9, 1976, construction began on an industrial platform unlike any previously developed in Romania: approximately 480 hectares of land were dedicated to this strategic project, including more than 35 hectares reclaimed from the sea to enable the development of the future refinery.
The pouring of the first foundation pillar in an area that consisted only of sand, reeds, and sea marked the beginning of a major technological and logistical effort involving thousands of specialists from Romania and abroad.
Fifty years ago, ground stabilization works began in Năvodari to prepare the site for the construction of the new petrochemical complex. In 1979, with the commissioning of the Atmospheric Distillation Unit, Petromidia officially began operations, processing its first barrel of crude oil and marking the start of a period of rapid industrial development.
Over time, additional processing units were brought into operation. Today, Petromidia operates no fewer than 29 specialized units dedicated to refining, petrochemicals, and utilities, producing more than 30 primary and secondary products, including fuels (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), polyethylene, polypropylene, and petroleum coke.
"Fifty years after the pouring of the first foundation pillar, Petromidia operates a fully integrated technological process. The platform's evolution demonstrates our ability to transform infrastructure built in the 1970s into a high-performing, complex industrial system that has become a benchmark for stability and a cornerstone of Romania's economy," said Sorin Graure, General Manager of Rompetrol Rafinare.
Over the past five decades, Petromidia has evolved into a regional energy hub, with a Nelson Complexity Index of 9.32 and an annual processing capacity of more than 5 million tons of feedstock, continuously developing into a modern, integrated, and regionally competitive industrial complex.
Successive modernization programs and investments in state-of-the-art technologies following its acquisition by KazMunayGas, Kazakhstan's national oil and gas company, have strengthened Petromidia's position as Romania's leading fuel supplier and a key contributor to the energy security of both Romania and the Black Sea region.
Today, the Petromidia platform hosts more than 20 companies (KMG International Group member companies and subcontractors) and operates strategically important logistics infrastructure.
In 2025, Romania's largest refinery achieved operational records, including its highest-ever volume of crude oil processed, secured with the support of KazMunayGas, along with strong performance in the white products yields (gasoline, diesel, LPG, jet fuel, and propylene), which reached the highest level in the refinery's history. The refinery also recorded all-time high production levels for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
Communication and Public Relations Department
KMG International
