Góna după bogăţiile României

''De cât-va timp, Capitala română şi judeţul Prahova sunt cutrierate de o sumă de streini: englezi, olandezi, germani, francezi, şi belgiani, cari dic că represintă óre-care societăţi streine de capitalişti. Toţi aceştia caută şi studiază terenurile petrolifere si le cumperă fără multă tocmélá. 

Piaţa din Bucureşti e cuprinsă de sensaţie de vr’o doue septămâni. Deci şi sute de mii de Lei asvîrlă aceşti streini pentru terenuri petrolifere, revoluţionând tóté spiritele comerciale prin galantomia lor.

Pentru un mic teren petrolifer din Buştenari, (Prahova), care abia produce 10, maximum 12 vagoné de petrol pe lună, o companie americană a dat 500.000 Lei, de şi în casul cel mai bun acel teren nu valoreză mai mult de cât 80—100.000 lei. 

Se bănueşte că în dosul acestei companii febrile ce se face în numele a deci de societăţi anonime, de către deci de streini bogaţi, — stă marea companie pentru exploatare a minelor de petrol din America (Pensylvania), anume „Standard Oil Company“ care dispune de un capital de vr’o 500 milióne. 

S’au cumpărat până acum aprópe tóté terenurile petrolifere, cele bune precum şi cele mediocre, din Câmpina, Buştenari, etc. Şi tóté cu preţuri exorbitante, fără târguială multă. 

Se oferă de către o companie de englezi pentru terenurile potrolifere din Câmpina ale dlui G. B. Popp, un milion de lei. Aceste terenuri acum câţi-va ani au fost cumpărate cu 300.000 lei. 

Intrebat, unul din cei mai mari proprietari de puţuri de petrol din Câmpina de spre importanţa acestei gone a capitaliştilor străini, a respuns : 

— Aruncă banii aprópe nebuneşte aceşti străini. Totuşi mi-au spus că în cel mult dece ani, terenurile petrolifere române vor produce sute de milióne pe an ; că ţara asta are un viitor strălucit prin bogăţiile ei subterane , etc. etc. 

Causa pentru care se grăbesc a cumpăra până la primăvară tóté terenurile petrolifere, e că se înfiinţeză la Suez un deposit colosal de petrol, necesar pentru bastimente. 

Cărbunii în curând vor fi înlocuiţi, de óre-ce s’a descoperit o nouă maşină care dă puterea motrice necesară vaselor, prin petrol. 

Iată de ce grăbesc a pune mâna pe terenurile petrolifere şi a începe în Maiu o exploatare colosală de petrol, în Prahova. 

Englezii spun minuni despre decile de milióne streine ce vor circula peste doi, cel mult trei ani în capitala română, că la vară vor începe să facă la Câmpina şi prin împrejurimi nişte instalaţii mult mai măreţe ca cele din Pensylvania şi Batum, cari vor costa câte-va milióne. Până acum au cheltuit sume colosale în ţară, cumperând cele mai neînsemnate terenuri petrolifere, până şi terenuri de 50 de metri, dând pe un pogon câte 10.000 lei. (Epoca)''

Telegraful Roman, 1899.

Drilling for oil at Ploiesti in 1924

Ploiesti Standard Petrol Block S.A.R. 1924

Ceptura oilfield

 A charcoal gasoline plant at Ceptura of Romano-Americana

 Standard Oil of New Jersey.

 General view of the Ceptura oilfield with wells
belonging to the Astra Romana.

Partial view of the Ceptura oilfield.

Old romanian oil refineries

 Baneasa oil refinery in 1907.

Colombia oil refinery Cernavoda.

Colombia oil refinery Ploiesti, 1931.

Lumina oil refinery, Ploiesti 1907.

Standard oil refinery.

Steaua Romana oil refinery. Campina.

Standard Oil in Romania

 Romanian oilfields.

Standard Oil tanks in Romania.

Romanian oil industry 1911-1916

'' The Rumanian oil industry enjoyed a period of prosperity from 1911 to 1916 following the development of unusually rich tracts along the Moreni-Baicoi belt of diapiric salt anticlines. The complex structural conditions were now fairly well understood, and the early use of geology by most of the had brought development operations probably to a higher state of general efficiency than prevailed in any other country. Production was from sands in the Dacic series and from Meotic sands about 2,000 feet deeper near the base of the Pliocene.The Dacic is very productive but oil occurrences in it are very erratic and of limited extent. Throughout the proved area of the Dacic series, the average production is 120,000 barrels per acre. At Moreni, the best section of the south flank of the salt anticline averaged 350,000 barrels per acre, but on the opposite side of the salt from this very rich section, no oil whatsoever occurs in this formation. Oil from the Dacic is produced for the most part along the Moreni-Baicoi trend... The Meotic is more regular and is ordinarily found productive where structural and sand conditions are favorable. This series is much less rich than the Dacic--averaging 30,000 barrels per acre throughout its proved area. Gross production amounted to 13,555,000 barrels in 1913 in spite of problems imposed by the Balkan wars. The three major operators were still dominant, but large new wells in 1913 placed Royal Dutch-Shell's Astra Romana and Standard of New Jersey's Romano Americana ahead of the German controlled Steaua Romana. In 1914, Astra produced about 3,400,000 barrels, Americana 3,100,000 barrels, and Steaua 2,700,000 barrels .

Burning petroleum wells at Buzau, during the First World War. 

Date : 1916

Rumania entered World War I on the side of the Allies in 1916 and many of the oil installations were destroyed in advance of the invasion of the German armies. Production dropped to 3,721,000 barrels in 1917, but the long familiarity of Steaua Romana's geologists and engineers with the local fields was helpful in enabling the German forces to make effective use of Rumanian oil during the period of their occupation.The number of petroleum geologists in Rumania between 1911 and 1916 is known to have been substantial, but most of their identities and affiliations are obscure. Steaua Romana probably still had the largest technical departments. Astra Romana had acquired the staff of Regatul Roman by merger, and its local organization shared also in the personnel and services of the Central Geological Bureau which Royal Dutch-Shell had established under Erb at The Hague. Several of the important smaller companies had become addicted to the use of geology in earlier years, and several consultants worked in the oil country at various times. The only full-time geologist for Romano Americana before the German occupation was Silas C. Stathers, who had started as a civil engineer for Jersey Standard many y ars earlier and worked here in 1914-1916 before returning to the United States as the first chief geologist of Standard Oil Company of Louisiana. During the summer field season for more than 20 years, Romano Americana employed Ion Popescu-Voitesti, a former student of Mrazec, professor of geology at the universities of Cluj and Bucharest successively, and later director of the Rumanian Geological Survey Restoration of the oil business after the war was hampered for a time by the inflation and political readjustments which were prevalent in Europe, while the character of the industry underwent major changes. Steaua Romana, as a former enemy property, passed front German to local control. Astra Romana resumed large-scale activities, although Royal Dutch-Shell was putting more emphasis on its vast undeveloped holdings in the western hemisphere. Standard of New Jersey, which was pinched for oil supplies everywhere, established a geological department in Romano Americana with E. T. Hancock as chief and 3 to 5 assistants. Their first efforts were devoted to reconditioning old wells and drilling deeper ones on the leases at Moreni and Baicoi, but they could not bring production back to the 914 level (Gibb and Knowlton, 1956). Rumania as a whole was unable to surpass its 1913 production until 1925, but enjoyed unprecedented success during the next 10 years ''.

Romanian oil tankers

Oltenia - was built for Steaua Romana SA Pentru Industria Petroleului, Bucharest,Romania. In 1941 was seized by Britain and renamed Oltenia II SS. She was a Steam Tanker of 6,394 tons built in 1928. In 1930 the total tons transported was 87,000 tons. On the 8th january 1943 when on route from Trinidad to Gibraltar carrying a cargo of 9,086 tons of furnace oil, a consignment of 732 barrels of lubricating oil, 1,000 sten guns and 500,000 rounds of ammunition and tobacco she was torpedoed by German submarine U-436 and sunk by gunfire.

Lenght = 131,6 meters

Width =  16 meters

Able to load 500 tons per hour with 2 pumps

Capacity =  9400 tons

Oltenia oil tanker

Oltenia - another oil tanker with the same name was built  in 1967 - the oil tanker "Oltenia" was built (flag: Romania, IMO: 6729529, 35,567 tdw., 22,243 trb., length: 190.00 m, width: 28.10 m, engine power: 16,500 hp, builder: 1967, "Hitachi-Zosen", Innoshima - Japan).

He also bore the names "Dona Margarita" (1982), "Bernardo Strozzi" (1985), "Burnoisland" (1986) and "Fal XX" (1987). It was scrapped in 1996. Sister ship: "Argeş" (February 1968 - Japan).

Oil tanker Oltenia

Independenţa (The Indepence) - was the first of a series of five Romanian supertankers which were constructed by Santierul Naval Constanţa in the 1980s.Independenţa was a 1977 Romanian-flagged crude oil carrier, the biggest ship of the Romanian commercial fleet at that time. She collided in 1979 with a Greek freighter at the southern entrance of Bosphorus, Turkey and exploded. She caught fire and grounded.From 17 to 27 November, there was slight leakage from the tanker. Another major explosion occurred onboard the vessel on the night of 6 December at 10:40 p.m., which resulted in more oil spillage.The slick from the vessel drifted towards the Port of Haydarpaşa, and the booms across its entrance could not prevent approximately 50 tons of oil entering the harbor. The tanker continued to burn until 14 December. Heavy oil contamination formed on the surface of the sea and on the heavily built-up shores and the recreational beaches of the Sea of Marmara and the Istanbul Strait.It was estimated that 30,000 tons of crude oil burned and that the remaining 64,000 tons spilled into the sea. Because of the rapid evaporation of the light components, the crude oil quickly sank to the bottom of the sea in an area approximately 5.5 km in diameter.

Independenta oil tanker on flames

Unirea (The Union) - broke up and sank at the beginning of the 1980s in Bulgarian waters of the Black Sea. Official reports claim that the accident was caused by a collision with a World War II mine. Unirea was a Romanian-flagged crude oil carrier, one of the biggest ships of the Romanian commercial fleet. She broke up and sank in 1982 in the Bulgarian waters of the Black Sea, 40 nautical miles (74 km) south-south east of the Cape Kaliakra at a depth of 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) after a mysterious explosion.The exact cause of accident is unknown but official reports suggest that during a vapor evacuation of the central number 3 tank an explosive mixture formed alongside the evacuation hole that could have been ignited by multiple sources but especially electrostatic energy. The explosion of the central number 3 tank had a devastating effect on the integrity of the ship triggering a series of explosions that destroyed the separating wall of the central and starbord tanks favoring the expansion of the volatile elements across the ship. The fire that followed also contributed to the vertical breaking of the ship's shell and the eventual sinking. Other official reports claim that the accident was caused by a collision with a World War II mine. A different opinion (unofficial) came from some naval architects and marine engineers stating that the ship broke up because of incorrect ballasting (the ship had no cargo at the moment of the accident). The Romanian shipping company "Navrom" claimed the insurance payout, amounting to US$ 36.6 million. This action resulted in a thorough inspection of the ship's wreck by independent survey teams, employed by the insurance company from Lloyd's Register, Japan. As the inspection did not reveal any major faults in construction, the insurance was finally paid.

On 1978, August 7 - the oil tanker "Unirea" was launched (flag: Romania, IMO: 7940493, code: YQIJ, owner: I.E.F.M. "Navrom" Constanta, steel hull and deck, 163,647 tdw., 88,285 trb., length : 302.60 m, width: 46.03 m, height: 22.54 m, draft: 17.37 m, crew: 43 members, no. of decks: 1, propulsion (main engine): "Kawasaki"/ MAN engine 1/ K9 SZ90/ 160, main engine power: 28,800 hp, speed: 16 Nd., autonomy: 18,000 Mm, weight of incorporated metal: about 24,000 tons, builder: 1979, Constanta Naval Shipyard, construction value: about 41 million U.S. dollars. )

The ship was registered at the Constanța Port Authority (registration no. 539) and was handed over to the beneficiary I.E.F.M. "Navrom" Constanta on October 30, 1979 (expert report no. 10/ 1478-ID-9).

Painting by Valentin Donici

The tanker UNIREA, November 1979, in the dry dock of the Constanța Naval Shipyard.

Biruinţa (The Victory) - Owned and managed by the then Romanian state owned Shipping Company (Navrom). In the 1990s the ship was passed to the Romanian private shipping company "Petromin", changing its name to Iris Star. Finally the ship was bought by the Romanian shipping company Histria Shipmanagement having its name changed again to Histria Crown. The ship was finally decommissioned after more than 20 years of service in 2006.

Libertatea (The Liberty) - had the same history (including ownership) as her older sister Biruinta with the only exception that the ship is still in operation under the name Histria Prestige.

Pacea (The Peace) - was never fully completed. Oil tanker built in 1957 at Rotterdam, Netherlands ( gross tonnage: 12,377tons ).At the end of the 1980s it was passed to Czechoslovakia as a part of Romania's foreign debt.
Bustenari - oil tanker(39000TDW) built in Galati.
Bucsani - oil tanker built in 1987(actual name is Histria Topaz)
Prahova - crude oil tanker built in 1987 at Constanta, Romania ( gross tonnage: 50,571tons ).
Moreni - oil tanker built in 1971 at Giurgiu Shipyard .As a matter of fact there was an American oil tanker named after Moreni (notorious Romanian oil center) sunk in battle on June,12 1917. 

Standard Oil Steamer Moreni with a cargo of gasoline was fires 150 shots at U-Boat before she goes down.

The American tanker "Moreni", seen outbound river Douro, Oporto, 1914, Loa 113m/Lpp 108,1m/4.045gt, completed 11/1913 as "Meppen" by Seebeck Werft, Geestemunde, for Deutsche Amerikanische, Petroleum Ges., Hamburg; 1914 Moreni, Standard Oil Co., New York; 12/06/1917 attacked and sunken near Tabarca Island, near Santa Pola, Spain, Mediterranean Sea, after a two hours hard battle, from which were fired 150 shots against 200 from U-64, while on passage Baton Rouge for Leghorn, 43 saved and 4 lost: German captain congratulated the Moreni’s captain by his fight. The Steamship Moreni, owned and operated by the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, an American national, sailed from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, May 19, 1917, with a cargo of gasoline consigned to the Italian-American Oil Company at Savona, Italy, to call at Gibraltar for orders. She was armed for defensive purposes with two 4-inch guns, one fore and one aft, and manned with a civilian crew of 35 and a naval gun crew of 12. After calling at Gibraltar for orders she sailed from that port June 10, 1917,and on the morning of June 12 was fired upon and finally sunk by a German submarine after a running fight in which the Moreni endeavored to escape and in which 200 to 250 shots were fired by the submarine and about 150 shots by the Moreni.It is apparent that the Moreni was at the time of her destruction being privately operated for private profit as a merchant vessel, and for the reasons heretofore given the Commission holds that she does not fall within the excepted class.

Arges - on 10 September 1981 in the French port Rouen, when a fire started around the Romanian tanker Argeș, then under the command of Traian Băsescu, affecting a large portion of the River Seine. The fire destroyed two tugs and six barges, and major disaster was avoided when 70 French firemen from Rouen, Gran-Couronne, Grand-Quevily, Canteleu and Moulineaux prevented the fire from reaching the nearby Shell refinery. According to an interview given by Traian Băsescu to the Romanian TV channel Prima TV on 23 June 1998 (and quoted by Magazin Nautic, the official publication of the Romanian Nautical Club), Băsescu admitted to having made alterations to the ship's installation before the French investigators were allowed to come on board, a thing that — in Băsescu's own words — made it impossible for the investigators to link the cause of the disaster to the Romanian ship. 

It was built on 1968, February  (flag: Romania, IMO: 6806743, 36,150 tdw., 22,244 trb., length: 190.00 m, width: 28.30 m, builder: February 1968, "Hitachi Zosen ", Innoshima - Japan). It also bore the name "Larnaca" (1982). It was cut at Alang in June 1992.

Arges oil tanker built in 1968.

Banat - It was built at IHI Aioi / Japan, site number 2,370, being delivered to Navrom Constanta in January 1975.

It was used by Navrom Constanta to transport oil from Arab countries to the Midia-Navodari (Petromidia) refinery.

After 1990 he arrived at Petromin Constanta, following the division of Navrom Constanta into 3 companies: Petromin, Romline and Navrom.

From April 1995 it was chartered (bare-boat contract) to Histria Shipmanagement srl Constanta. It went into repairs at the Constanta Naval Shipyard. Upon their completion, in October 1995, its name was changed to HISTRIA SPIRIT, the flag being hoisted being the Maltese one.

It sailed until the spring of 2003, when it was sold for scrap for 3.61 million USD. It arrived in Chittagong/Bangladesh on 9.06.2003, being later dismantled.

Some characteristics of the oil tanker:

- Length: 242.11 m, width: 40.06 m, draft: 13.61 m

- IMO: 7372696

- Call sign: YQCU

- 86,105 tdw / 46,889 Gt

- powered by an engine made in Japan, Sulzer license, model 7RND90, developing 20,300 HP

- maximum speed: 15.7 Nd

- 3 diesel generators: 2 x 760 KW, 400V 50 HZ AC and 1 x 530 KW, 400V 50 HZ AC

- had 14 tanks that could store a total of 102,190 cubic meters of oil

- loading/unloading was done with the help of 3 pumps with a flow rate of 2,750 cubic meters/hour

- sister ships: Dacia, Crisana, Muntenia

Banat oil tanker

Crisana -  1974, November - the oil tanker "Crişana" was built (flag: Romania, IMO: 7372684, code: YQCT, port of registration: Constanta, 77,000 dwt., 46,889 trb., 30,844 trn., length: 242.11 m, width : 40.06 m, height: 18.03 m, maximum draft: 13.61 m, crew: 40 members, no. of decks: 1, propulsion: engine type 7-RND-90, license: "Sulzer", builder: I.H.I. - Aioi, 1974, operating principle: diesel, reversible, 2-stroke, single effect, 7 cylinders, 900 x 1,550, 1ELC, speed: 122 revolutions/minute, machine power: 20,300 hp, 14,940 Kw., speed: 15, 7 Nd., boilers: 2CAUX-ACV-AZL, 415/ 16, 1CAUX-ACV-GEV, 268/ 7, auxiliary engine: 3 x 900 hp, B&W "Hitachi", generators: 2 x 760, 1 x 530 Kw. , 450V, 50 Hz., AC, fuel: fuel oil, bunker: 3,304 tons, navigation and radio communication equipment: gyrocompass, electric log, radar, radio direction finder, radio telephone, ultrasound probe, radio station, no. of tanks: 14, volume of tanks cargo: 102,190 m3, loading/unloading installation: 3 pumps x 2 .750 mc/h, builder: November 1974, "Ishikawajima - Harima", Aioi - Japan; launched on June 29, 1974).

It was cut at Aliaga in August 1999.

Sailing on Bosfor.

Crisana oil tanker

Muntenia - renamed "Histria Moon", ex-"Muntenia" (IMO: 7372672, owner: "Lime Light Shipping Ltd.", La Valetta - Malta, 86,093 tdw., built in 1974

Oil tanker Muntenia

 

Steaua Romana ( Steaua Romana Company ) with a capacity of 7,000 tons transported 69,000 tons of oil in 1930. In October 1940, when the German Military Mission entered Romania, the oil tankers "Oltenia" and "Steaua Română" were requisitioned by the British. The Romanian crews were disembarked and repatriated. The vessels entered the service of the English fleet and would later be sunk by naval mines.

<1940, 10 decembrie - fostul petrolier „Steaua Română“ (IMO: 1145188, 5.275 trb., construit în anul 1914), rechiziţionat de Marina Regală Britanică, a fost distrus de explozia unei mine, în punctul de coordonate 36° 13’ Nord/ 11° 59’ Est>

Barbu Stirbey ( Steaua Romana Company ) with a capacity of 3,650 tons transported 65,000 tons of oil in 1930

Campina ( Steaua Romana Company ) - The tanker located in Constanța, was leased to the German company Rumänien Mineralöl. In December 1941 it was sunk by a British submarine, which hit it with two torpedoes, while sailing near Patras, "under escort of an Italian auxiliary cruiser". The vessel had seawater ballast on board as cargo.

Adagena ( Steaua Romana Company ) - Caught on fire in the port of Constanta and ran aground near ''Viile vechi'' (wrecked on October 3, 1922)

Pallpetro ( Pallas company ) with a capacity of 685 tons transported 16,000 tons of oil in 1930  

Caracal -  Its construction began in 1984, at the Braila Naval Shipyard, site number 1293. The construction of the ship was completed in June 1989, the ship being handed over to the beneficiary - Navrom Constanta.

There were only two such oil tankers in our fleet: CARACAL and COSTESTI. Another 5 ships of this type were built for Cuba.

Also, several freighters for China were built on the same hull. Another freighter of the same type - ODOBESTI - was under construction for Romania, but it never sailed under the Romanian flag, being sold in Turkey directly from the construction site (the construction was already completed).

Returning to CARACAL, it arrived in 1990 at Petromin, with the split of Navrom Constanta. Since 1996, it has been operated by Histria Shipmanagement, its name being changed to HISTRIA PEARL.

At the end of 1998, Petromin approved the direct sale of the oil tanker to TSM (Technical Shiprepairs and Maintenance SRL) Constanta, against the sum of 1.38 million USD.

The ship continued to sail under the Romanian flag.

In 2001, the tanker was sold to Lefkaritis Bros Seaways of Cyprus. Its name was changed to PETROLINA, the new flag raised being the Cypriot one. He carried out his activity in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

In 2010, Hillaa Shipping Corp from Dubai was sold, its name being changed to HILLAA. The flag raised was the Panamanian flag. It was used in the Persian Gulf area.

In November 2017, it was sold for scrap. He arrived at Alang, where he was put ashore on November 10.

Some features of the ship:

- IMO: 8914180 (MMSI: 372393000)

- Length: 102.73 m, width: 16.42 m, draft: 6.8 m

- 4,970 tdw / 3,932 Gt

- double body

- propulsion provided by an engine manufactured at UCM Resita, MAN license, model 6L40/54A, developing 3,750 HP.

- maximum speed: 13.5 Knots

- it had 16 tanks that could store a total of 5,320 cubic meters.

- equipped with 3 bigs: 2 x 5t SWL, 1 x 1.6t SWL (in the stern)

Caracal oil tanker.

Oil refinery in Ploiesti in the early 20th century

1.AQUILA FRANCO ROMANA - This french-owned refinery was constructed in the year 1907-08,and was capable of an output of 600 tons per day.It was of modern construction and endowed with all the auxiliary plant,such as rectifiers,agitators and refiners,equal to its working capacity. 

2.ASTRA ROMANA - Originally a small refinery in the suburbs of Ploiesti,since taken over by dutch owners.In 1905 the plant was practically rebuilt,and it was enlarged from a working capacity of 100 to that of 1,000 tons per day. The owning company was an " offshoot " of the Royal Dutch and Shell Trading and Transport company.The refinery, was situated immediately behind the Ploiesti station,and along side the Orion,Lumina and Norris refineries. 

3.ORION - This refinery,which was burnt with the Astra in 1916 was Dutch owned. Capable of working 600 tons of crude oil per day.In addition to the ordinary refining plant it possessed valuable lubricating oil works and large storage tanks. 

4.LUMINA - A small refinery, also included in the large Astra destruction, with a working capacity of 80 tons per day. 

5.NORRIS - A small refinery having a working capacity of 90 tons per day."Baneasa" Refinery Company bought it from its previous german owners shortly before Romania entered the first war. 

6.PREDINGER - This refinery,originally belonging to a native,changed hands several times up to the year 1911,when it came under french control.It was enlarged from time to time,and was capable of an output of 120 tons per day. 

7.STANDARD - This refinery was ostensibly bought in 1912 by a british company.The refinery was equipped for working 300 tons of crude oil per day,and had large storage tanks.An important lubricating oilplant was installed. 

8.MITRANY - This refinery,situated on the eastern boundary of the town,was increased to a daily working capacity of 50 tons per day in 1915.Generally,the plant was old and worked by the owner for all it was worth,without renewing any parts. 

9.ROUMANIAN CONSOLIDATED OILFIELDS,LIMITED - This was an old refinery having a working capacity of 25 tons per day. 

10.ANGLO-CONTINENTAL - This was a new refinery,built in 1913/14,and had a working capacity of 100 tons per day and storage for 6,000 tons. 

11.VEGA - This german-owned modern refinery,situated on the northern boundary of Ploiesti,had a working capacity of 1,000 tons per day,and was well designed and equipped for making the best lubricating and other special kinds of oil.The refinery and tanks covered about 40 acres. 

12.ROMANO-AMERICANA - This was the largest refining plant and storage station in or around Ploiesti.In the construction of these works great care had been taken to provide against fires spreading from one reservoir to another,or to the distilling machinery.For complete destruction during the Romanian army's withdrawal in 1916 some dams, closing in the east end of the refinery,were filled with residues and fired.One hundred reservoirs were fired individually,and,finally,the installations were fired and each vessel and boiler exploded.The spectacular sight was remarkable and the heavy volumes of smoke,which stretched for some 100 kilometres or more, must have considerably inconvenienced the enemy who was then on the outskirts of the town on the windward side.The quantity of oil destroyed was 120,000 tons. 

13.FRATIA - Location was in the town.