Polmin (English: State Factory of Mineral Oils, Polish: Państwowa Fabryka Olejów Mineralnych) was an interwar Polish petroleum company. The company was founded in 1909 and nationalized in 1927. Crude run in 1930 reached over 731 thousand barrels, making Polmin the largest petroleum company in all of Interwar Poland with its annual capacity of 2.1 million barrels. Polmin produced

gasoline Gasoline ( North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When for ...

, kerosine, various oils including lubricating oils, cylinder oils and special oils, solid lubricants, vaseline, paraffin, candles and

asphalt Asphalt most often refers to: * Bitumen, also known as "liquid asphalt cement" or simply "asphalt", a viscous form of petroleum mainly used as a binder in asphalt concrete * Asphalt concrete, a mixture of bitumen with coarse and fine aggregates, u ...

. The company operated a large oil refinery in

Drohobycz Drohobych ( ; ; ) is a city in the south of Lviv Oblast, Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Drohobych Raion and hosts the administration of Drohobych urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. In 1939–1941 and 1944–1959 it was ...

, which in late 1930s employed around 3000 people. The refinery in Drohobycz was one of the largest in all of Europe.

History

The refinery in

was built in 1909 and quickly surpassed all local rivals in capacity and production. Soon after its construction, the refinery transformed into the "C.K. Państwowa Fabryka Olejów Mineralnych". During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the refinery went through an almost year-long Russian occupation following their offensive into Galicia, during which the factory halted operations. During the rest of the war, the refinery produced petroleum products for the Austrian war effort.

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, serving as Austria-Hungary's successor in Galicia, inherited the "C.K. Państwowa Fabryka Olejów Mineralnych" and transformed it into the ""Polmin" Państwowa Fabryka Olejów Mineralnych w Drohobyczu". Polmin was nationalized shortly after Piłsudski's coup, in 1927. Polmin Casino

During the interwar, Polmin's employees enjoyed a great deal of privileges: high wages, free transport within

and other social programs, access to the "Polmin" Casino and the possibility of living in the Polmin workers' colony in Drohobycz. The Polmin Colony was built by the company, and was situated close to the refinery as well as the Drohobycz city centre. To satisfy its inhabitants, the colony possessed a school located at its centre, a football field and a swimming pool, and a various range of shops. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the Polmin refinery was bombed by

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

in 1939 during the

Invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...

and later by the Americans in 1944 as a part of the Oil Campaign, in which the allies sought to cripple Germany's petroleum industry. Wartime bombing of Polmin sealed the company's fate as it became defunct.

Sources

* ''Drohobycki Polmin. Fenomen największej polskiej rafinerii. Prezentacja Tomasza Kuby Kozłowskiego''. (2021). Retrieved from: https://stayhappening.com/e/drohobycki-polmin-fenomen-najwi%C4%99kszej-polskiej-rafinerii-prezentacja-tomasza-kuby-koz%C5%82owskiego-E2ISTYM4B5Y * ''Kolonia Polmin''. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://www.kawiarniany.pl/2019/07/30/kolonia-polmin-w-drohobyczu/ * McCabe, Richard. (1932). ''Petroleum Refineries in Foreign Countries, 1931''. U.S. Government Printing Office. * ''"Polmin": Państwowa Fabryka Olejów Mineralnych w Drohobyczu''. (1927). Warsaw: Pomorska Druk. Rolnicza.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Headquarters of Polmin in Lwow, 1932

Polmin refinery in Drohobycz, 1932
1909 establishments in Austria-Hungary 1927 in Poland Drohobych Economy of Lviv Energy companies established in 1909 Energy in Poland 20th century in Lviv Economy of the Second Polish Republic Non-renewable resource companies established in 1909 Oil and gas companies of Poland