The Romanian government has made an official appeal to the US for the resumption of operations of the “Petrotel” oil refinery, owned by Russia's “Lukoil” company.
Modern.az reports that this was stated by Romania's Minister of Energy, Bogdan Ivan. According to him, the restart of the refinery depends on the permission of the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
The Minister noted that the refinery located in Ploiești is technologically designed primarily for processing heavy and high-sulfur “Urals” brand crude oil from Russia. For this reason, the facility cannot commence operations without the consent of the US.
According to Bogdan Ivan, if a positive response is received from Washington, the refinery will process crude oil supplied from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, not Russian oil. He emphasized that these countries are considered reliable energy partners for Romania.
The Minister added that after the refinery is put into operation, all processes will be carried out under strict state control. Thanks to this mechanism, neither oil will be imported from Russia, nor will the revenue generated be directed to Russia.
“We have appealed to OFAC for permission to restart the “Petrotel” refinery. Once a decision is made, it will be possible to engage personnel, adapt equipment, and resume production within approximately 45 days”, – the Minister stated in an interview with “Digi 24” television channel.
Bogdan Ivan also noted that Romania's main goal is to increase the supply of diesel and gasoline in the domestic market. According to him, this step serves to strengthen the country's energy security and increase reliance on alternative sources.
The Minister emphasized that against the backdrop of the war waged by Russia against Ukraine, the “Lukoil” company has no close relations with either the Romanian state or the West. Nevertheless, official Bucharest intends to resume the refinery's operations, taking into account economic and pragmatic interests.
