Lukoil resumes production at its refinery in Romania

has achieved a temporary withdrawal of arrest of its bank accounts and the commercial stocks of crude oil and oil products of its Romanian refinery Petrotel-Lukoil, which was imposed by the Romanian authorities last week within the investigation of possible evasion of taxes and legalization of illegal income by the company. The company, which stopped the refinery last week, has already started its gradual relaunch.

Lukoil resumes the production at the refinery Petrotel-Lukoil Ploiesti (Romania), the company’s representative reported to journalists. According to him, by results of the hearing in Ploiesti Court of Appeal on October 6th, preventive measure imposed in respect of the refinery last week were suspended.

On October 2nd, representatives of the Prosecutor's Office of Romania made a search in offices of the Romanian structures of Lukoil and at the refinery, seized accounting documents. As the AFP reported then, prosecutors suspect the company in tax evasion and money laundering, assessing the damage, caused by these actions, at 230 million euro. Formal charges against the company weren’t brought, however, first the arrest was imposed on accounts, and then on oil and oil products of the companies. As a result of the arrest, Petrotel-Lukoil suspended its industrial and commercial activities, gradual stoppage of the plant began on October 3. On October 6, Lukoil appealed the decision on arrest in the court of Ploiesti.