The company has informed the Ministry of Energy that a crude oil shipment is scheduled to arrive at the Port of Constanța by November 20, 2026, according to Mediafax.
The refinery in Ploiești has been under extended supervision by the Romanian state since February 12, 2026, following the imposition of sanctions on Lukoil by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). In August, Petrotel announced that it had entered insolvency proceedings, explaining that the move was intended to protect the industrial asset, its employees and the prospects of restarting production.
Petrotel stopped production in October 2025 for scheduled technical overhaul works and has not resumed operations since.
Petrotel management informed the Ministry of Energy that a shipment of crude oil of Kazakh origin is expected to arrive at the Port of Constanța by November 20. The shipment is said to comply fully with all the requirements imposed by international sanctions, including those issued by the European Union, the US Treasury and the UK Treasury.
The funds and resources used in these efforts do not originate from, and will not be destined for, the Russian Federation, the company said.
Over the past month, technical teams have worked intensively to inspect and prepare the installations, according to Mediafax.
The company has already brought the refinery’s cogeneration plant, CET Petrotel, back into operation as part of preparations for the resumption of activity. The plant provides the electrical and thermal energy required for technological processes across the site.
According to company officials, starting up the cogeneration plant and preparing the other facilities require the use of resources and stocks available on the platform. Without a crude oil supply to allow the restart process to continue, the activities already underway cannot be sustained in the long term, and the refinery may have to return to a prolonged conservation regime.
In preparation for resuming operations, Petrotel has also reactivated working relationships with subcontractors and suppliers involved in the operation and maintenance of the platform.
The company pointed out that the impact of a possible further postponement would extend beyond the refinery’s employees. A network of companies operates around Petrotel, providing maintenance work, technical services, transport, logistics, industrial security and other services required for the production process.
Some of these companies have already mobilised staff and resources in anticipation of the restart. Their ability to maintain this mobilisation depends on the availability of a sufficiently clear operational schedule.
Petrotel previously accounted for about 20% of Romania’s fuel production and is currently the only one of the country’s four refineries that remains shut. The other major facilities include Rompetrol’s Petromidia and Vega refineries and the refinery operated by OMV Petrom.
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