Exploration History and Hydrocarbon Prospects in Romania

Abstract

Romania enjoys the privilege of being the first country registered in world statistics with a commercial production of 275 metric tonnes of crude oil in 1857 (Table 1), but historical documents attest the existence of rudimentary oil means of production, many centuries before, in the Carpathian foothills. The first natural gas discovery is related to a well drilled for potash salt in 1909, at Sarmasel, in the Transylvanian Depression. From the first discoveries up to now, the Romanian companies either working alone, or together with foreign companies (especially, during the early stages of exploration) discovered more than 400 oil and gas fields in all sedimentary provinces.