Collection GB 0074 CLC/B/178 - PHOENIX OIL AND TRANSPORT COMPANY LIMITED

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 CLC/B/178

Title

PHOENIX OIL AND TRANSPORT COMPANY LIMITED

Date(s)

  • [1900]-1958 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

158 production units.

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Phoenix Oil and Transport Company Limited was registered on 24 June 1920 to acquire various interests in Roumanian oil undertakings. In 1922 it acquired control of Roumanian Consolidated Oilfields Limited and in 1926 Phoenix Oil Products Ltd.

In 1926 Phoenix Oil and Transport also acquired Orion S.A.R. de Petrol, which owned oilfields in Roumania. Orion, although a Roumanian registered company, was a Dutch undertaking, formed in 1910. Unirea S.A.R. de Petrol, a wholly owned subsidiary of Phoenix Oil and Transport, was registered in Bucharest in 1920. Into it went the assets of several small English companies partially destroyed during the First World War.

Arbanash (Roumania) Oil Company Limited, incorporated in the United Kingdom in 1912, was the nominee through which Phoenix Oil and Transport held the whole of the issued capital of Unirea. In 1935 Unirea amalgamated with Orion and in 1938 with Roumanian Consolidated Oilfields Limited, so that by this date all of Phoenix Oil and Transport's Roumanian interests were consolidated in Unirea and its subsidiaries.

The company's assets were in enemy hands from 1941 until early in 1945, although the Roumanian subsidiaries continued operating, despite aerial bombardment which caused serious damage to refineries, tankage and loading stations. Production in Roumania declined sharply from about a million tons in 1936 to 396,000 tons in 1945. Unirea was taken into Roumanian state ownership in 1948.

Until 1946, a substantial interest in Phoenix Oil and Transport was held by General Mining and Finance Corporation Limited, which was represented on the board. Its interests were purchased in 1946 by Alpha Petrol Company of South Africa, and in 1948 the head office of Phoenix Oil and Transport moved to South Africa. On 27 February 1950 the company went into compulsory liquidation.

Phoenix Oil and Transport Company Limited had registered offices at 308 Winchester House, Old Broad Street, until 1923, then 6 Princes Street (1923-1926), 9-13 Fenchurch Buildings, Fenchurch Street (1926-49) and 33 King William Street from 1949.

Archival history

GB 0074 CLC/B/178 [1900]-1958 Collection 158 production units. Various.

Phoenix Oil and Transport Company Limited was registered on 24 June 1920 to acquire various interests in Roumanian oil undertakings. In 1922 it acquired control of Roumanian Consolidated Oilfields Limited and in 1926 Phoenix Oil Products Ltd.

In 1926 Phoenix Oil and Transport also acquired Orion S.A.R. de Petrol, which owned oilfields in Roumania. Orion, although a Roumanian registered company, was a Dutch undertaking, formed in 1910. Unirea S.A.R. de Petrol, a wholly owned subsidiary of Phoenix Oil and Transport, was registered in Bucharest in 1920. Into it went the assets of several small English companies partially destroyed during the First World War.

Arbanash (Roumania) Oil Company Limited, incorporated in the United Kingdom in 1912, was the nominee through which Phoenix Oil and Transport held the whole of the issued capital of Unirea. In 1935 Unirea amalgamated with Orion and in 1938 with Roumanian Consolidated Oilfields Limited, so that by this date all of Phoenix Oil and Transport's Roumanian interests were consolidated in Unirea and its subsidiaries.

The company's assets were in enemy hands from 1941 until early in 1945, although the Roumanian subsidiaries continued operating, despite aerial bombardment which caused serious damage to refineries, tankage and loading stations. Production in Roumania declined sharply from about a million tons in 1936 to 396,000 tons in 1945. Unirea was taken into Roumanian state ownership in 1948.

Until 1946, a substantial interest in Phoenix Oil and Transport was held by General Mining and Finance Corporation Limited, which was represented on the board. Its interests were purchased in 1946 by Alpha Petrol Company of South Africa, and in 1948 the head office of Phoenix Oil and Transport moved to South Africa. On 27 February 1950 the company went into compulsory liquidation.

Phoenix Oil and Transport Company Limited had registered offices at 308 Winchester House, Old Broad Street, until 1923, then 6 Princes Street (1923-1926), 9-13 Fenchurch Buildings, Fenchurch Street (1926-49) and 33 King William Street from 1949.

Deposited together with records of Phoenix Oil Products Ltd, Roumanian Consolidated Oilfields Ltd, Unirea, Orion and Arbanash in the Manuscripts Section of Guildhall Library by the Official Receiver in 1988. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.

Records of Phoenix Oil and Transport Company Limited and its subsidiaries Unirea S. A. R. de Petrol; Arbanash (Roumania) Oil Company; Orion S.A.R. de Petrol; Roumanian Consolidated Oilfields Limited and Phoenix Oil Products Limited. The records include minutes, annual reports, financial accounts, correspondence, reports, maps, photographs, papers relating to sales, and papers relating to war damage.

CLC/B/178-01: Phoenix Oil and Transport Company Limited;
CLC/B/178-02: Arbanash (Roumania) Oil Company;
CLC/B/178-03: Orion S.A.R. de Petrol;
CLC/B/178-04: Phoenix Oil Products Limited;
CLC/B/178-05: Roumanian Consolidated Oilfields Limited;
CLC/B/178-06: Unirea S.A.R. de Petrol.

Access by appointment only. Please contact staff.

Copyright to this collection rests with the depositor.

English, German and French.

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

For further information regarding the company see Laura Stanciu, "Free-Standing Companies in the Oil Sector in Romania and Poland before 1948: Typologies and Competencies", Business History, Vol 42, Oct 2000, no.4, pp. 27-66.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

January to May 2011. Phoenix Oil and Transport Co Ltd Oilfields Information sources Documents Business records Fuels Petroleum Energy policy Energy supply Oil supply Energy resources Nonrenewable energy sources Petroleum resources Oil extraction Facilities Industrial facilities Oil refineries Industry Power industry Petroleum industry Arbanash (Roumania) Oil Co Orion S.A.R. de Petrol , petroleum company Phoenix Oil Products Ltd Roumanian Consolidated Oilfields Ltd Unirea S.A.R. de Petrol , petroleum company Romania Eastern Europe City of London London England UK Western Europe Europe

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Deposited together with records of Phoenix Oil Products Ltd, Roumanian Consolidated Oilfields Ltd, Unirea, Orion and Arbanash in the Manuscripts Section of Guildhall Library by the Official Receiver in 1988. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of Phoenix Oil and Transport Company Limited and its subsidiaries Unirea S. A. R. de Petrol; Arbanash (Roumania) Oil Company; Orion S.A.R. de Petrol; Roumanian Consolidated Oilfields Limited and Phoenix Oil Products Limited. The records include minutes, annual reports, financial accounts, correspondence, reports, maps, photographs, papers relating to sales, and papers relating to war damage.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

CLC/B/178-01: Phoenix Oil and Transport Company Limited;
CLC/B/178-02: Arbanash (Roumania) Oil Company;
CLC/B/178-03: Orion S.A.R. de Petrol;
CLC/B/178-04: Phoenix Oil Products Limited;
CLC/B/178-05: Roumanian Consolidated Oilfields Limited;
CLC/B/178-06: Unirea S.A.R. de Petrol.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Access by appointment only. Please contact staff.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright to this collection rests with the depositor.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English, German and French.

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area