Burning for more than two years
The 160 Romano-Americana oil well at Moreni, Romania, which had been burning for nearly 28 months, was extinguisned on September 18,1929.The fire started on May 28, 1929, when the well was being drilled and a stratum of gas was struck, by accident.The pressure of the gas was so great that it blew out the drill and, with it, masses of stone and dirt.Stones striking on metal caused a spark, which ignited the gas and thus started the fire. Every effort was made for months to put the fire out. Vast sums of mones were spent, and several lives were lost as a result of accidents. At first the engineers tried to dig tunnels in order to tap the well and draw off the gas, but all that they could achieve was to diminish the pressure without actually extinguishing the fire.A fire-fighhting specialist(Myron Kinley) went from the United States and tried to put the fire out by dynamiting it, but this method also failed. He was to have made another attempt with a bigger charge of dynamite, but in the meantime it was decided to draw off some more gas. One of the o
ld tunnels was used for the purpose. Some machinery had got stuck in it on a previous occasion, but it was successfully extricated. This made the task of pumping the gas out easier, and the pressure diminished so greatly that the fire went out. In its early stages the fire was so big that it could be seen at night at Bucharest, 100 Km away, and the inhabitants of Moreni were able to read at night by its light. Later it diminished in height considerably, as succeeding explosions had made craters in the ground, through which the burning gas was escaping, giving it fire aspect of a small volcano. The Romano-Americana after the fire went out had still a difficult task in front of it, as the leakage of gas, which had to be stopped, continued. This was to be done by pumping water and dirt at high pressure into the aperture. By this means the dirt would be forced into all the crannies and thus prevent the gas from filtering through.
ld tunnels was used for the purpose. Some machinery had got stuck in it on a previous occasion, but it was successfully extricated. This made the task of pumping the gas out easier, and the pressure diminished so greatly that the fire went out. In its early stages the fire was so big that it could be seen at night at Bucharest, 100 Km away, and the inhabitants of Moreni were able to read at night by its light. Later it diminished in height considerably, as succeeding explosions had made craters in the ground, through which the burning gas was escaping, giving it fire aspect of a small volcano. The Romano-Americana after the fire went out had still a difficult task in front of it, as the leakage of gas, which had to be stopped, continued. This was to be done by pumping water and dirt at high pressure into the aperture. By this means the dirt would be forced into all the crannies and thus prevent the gas from filtering through.
Works done to extinguishing the outbreak.
Aurora company
“Aurora Company'' was founded in 1898 in Ploiesti with a capital of 150,000 francs. In 1899, Romanian international oil company in Amsterdam has merged with Aurora, which the store name, moved its headquarters in Bucharest, currently Paleologu street, and increases its capital to 6.5 million francs. The company held a refinery in Băicoi, which can process up to 900 tonnes of oil per day, and another in Targoviste.The company used at 1900, 282 cars and 89 reservoirs have a capacity of 34,987,000 liters. The capital account was in 1900, the sum of 1,420,899 francs, and in 1906, 7,699,680 francs. Dividends paid were 5.50% in 1900 to 7.87% in 1904 and 6% in 1905.
Oil tanks in flames
The harbor in the captured city of Constanta. In the background a burning oil tank, ignited by shelling.1916
Burning kerosine tanks in the harbor of captured Constanta in 1916.
1916-Romanian retreat from Constanta-huge oil tanks burning.