American oilfield products and services provider Halliburton leased 2,700 sqm for a production unit in Ploiesti, close to Romanian capital Bucharest, and a 5,000 sqm platform in West Park Ploiesti, according to CBRE, which brokered the lease. This was the first step in Halliburton's expansion in Romania. It plans to add more space in Ploieşti West Park in the next three years.

The announcement came soon after oil and gas company Chevron received the green light to explore and exploit shale gas on three perimeters in Constanta county, at Vama Veche, Adamclisi and Costinesti - all on the coast. Halliburton is working with Chevron on the exploration of shale gas in Poland, where it has been providing services including drilling services, mud logging, cementing, coiled tubing, slickline services, well testing, completion and hydraulic fracturing, as well as project management since July 2011.

Halliburton Energy Services Romania has been active in Romania since 1999. In 2010, it posted a loss of EUR 195,000. Halliburton was one of the contenders in the privatization of Romania's OMV Petrom. Together with Regal Petroleum and local investor Ovidiu Tender,  Halliburton was disqualified from the race back in 2003.

Founded in 1919, Halliburton has around 70,000 employees in 80 countries, serving the upstream oil and gas industry. The company had revenues of USD 24.8 billion in 2011, and an operating income of USD 4.7 billion.

Ploiesti West Park, developed by Alinso group, attracted tenants like the Toro company, Schlumberger, Honeywell, Unilever, OTZ Logistics and British American Tobacco.

editor@romania-insider.com