Wrecked derricks and pipelines.
Repairing damage to Ploesti Oil Fields Romania 1916, after British raids.
Petroleum workers moving an oil tank and making repairs.
Petroleum workers moving an oil tank and making repairs.
German staff officer during the tour in oilfield.
Ploiesti Oilfields in 1916 after destruction by British Sappers.Photos taken during the tour of a German staff officer of the oilfields after destruction and during repairs.Romania joined the Allies in late 1916, and the Germans responded by capturing the Romanian oil fields around Ploesti, but they were partly thwarted by a group of British destruction teams led by Colonel John ‘Empire Jack’ Norton-Griffiths. The Romanian government reluctantly gave permission for the destruction and the British Sappers wrecked derricks and pipelines, set the wells ablaze, and left such destruction that production could not be resumed until spring. Output by the Germans for all of 1917 was only one-third that of 1916.
GAGENI (Prahova) - 1,900 tons belonging to the Orion Company.
PLOESTI (Prahova) - 30,000 tons belonging to the Astra Company and deposited in their pipe fine station.
PLOESTI (Prahova) - 3,000 tons in the Roumanian Consolidated pipe line station.
TELEAJEN (Prahova) - 50,000 tons. This quantity was deposited in the State pipe line tanks.
PLOPENI (Prahova) - 20,500 tons, belonging to the Romana Belgiana Refinery were burnt.
Other oilfields destroyed:
APOSTOLACHE - With 1 drilling and 4 producing wells.
PACURETI - With 1 drilling and 1 producing well.
CEPTURA - W i t h 2 drilling and 1 producing well.
These last three localities had a total daily production of 13 tons, and there was not much activitv to be seen.