The National Environmental Agency in Pitesti instructed the company to stop the operation of the refinery due to the failure to take two environmental measures, namely the modernization of fixed and floating cover tanks for gasoline and the shutdown of two lagoons, Petrom said.

However, Petrom also said the National Environmental Agency"s decision is disproportionate and unjustified, adding it will use all legal means to contest the measure.

According to Petrom, the shutdown of the lagoons is fully completed and the documentation in this regard has already been submitted to the agency. Concerning the delay in the modernisation of the gasoline tanks the company initiated a series of discussions with the environmental authorities, it added.

A spokesperson at OMV called the closure of the refinery a bureaucratic problem, which the company will solve, adding that it is too early to say when the refinery will resume its operations.

PIN/Forbes.com