Two Romanian entrepreneurs, Iulian Stanciu and Adrian Crețoiu, have indirectly taken over the Gazprom gas station network in Romania from NIS Petrol, the local subsidiary of Serbia’s largest oil company, Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS), which is still indirectly controlled by Russia through Gazprom and Gazprom Neft.
Specifically, NIS Petrol was acquired by Romanian metal construction company Argenta SRL, owned by businessmen Adrian Crețoiu (60%) and Iulian Stanciu, the former head of eMAG (40%), according to a decision by the Competition Council approving the transaction cited by Economica.
Stanciu and Crețoiu also control Foraj Sonde Videle (BVB: FOJE), which last month took over Raffles Energy, a UK holding company that owns two Romanian companies active in the energy sector, particularly in natural gas and electricity production.
The information that Gazprom gas stations in Romania had changed ownership emerged as early as July, in the company’s report, but it did not make clear who the buyer was.
Oil company NIS was subjected to US sanctions because of its Russian shareholders, Gazprom Neft and Gazprom, which owned 44.9% and 11.3% of NIS shares, respectively. However, the Russian companies had to sell their stakes.
NIS, which operates 19 gas stations in Romania, announced its withdrawal from Bulgaria and Romania last year due to the challenges facing its operations in these markets.
The company, which is undergoing preventive concordat proceedings, ended 2025 with a turnover of RON 205.5 million and a loss of RON 95 million. The company also has a portfolio of six oil and gas perimeters under concession in western Romania, where it acts as the operator.