Державний нафтопереробний завод у Дрогобичі (1919–1939)

The importance of the state oil refinery «Polmin» in Drohobych for the economy of interwar Poland has investigated. The state of the enterprise at the time of its takeover by the Polish authorities has been determined. The management of the refinery, its subordination, finances, and the participation of state bodies in the development of the enterprise have been analysed. Visions of the role of «Polmin» in different groups of entrepreneurs involved in the oil business in Galicia have been highlighted. It is found that the majority of firms based on Polish capital proposed that this enterprise should remain an instrument of the government’s oil policy and pay less attention to its profitability. At the same time, the government was trying to develop the state oil refinery as a commercial enterprise. The relations between «Polmin» and foreign oil firms that dominated Galicia at the time have been traced. It is stated that the state-owned refinery took an active part in monopoly associations of large oil refineries, which often undermined its independence and reduced its profitability.

The ways of supplying crude oil to the state-owned plant have analysed. It is noted that the company mostly processed raw materials from small oil producers («pure producers») owned by local industrialists. «Polmin’s» relations with them have been traced. Attempts of the state-owned plant to produce crude oil on its own have been noted. The dynamics of «Polmin’s» participation in the trade of oil products on the Polish and foreign markets have been analysed. It is found that this enterprise continued to be the largest oil refinery in interwar Poland. Despite the government's attempts to run «Polmin» like a commercial enterprise, it continued to use the plant as a means of state control over the entire oil industry in Galicia. In this way, the Polish authorities did not allow foreigners to completely take over the industry and allowed local industrialists to engage in the oil business.

oil refinery, Galicia, interwar Poland, economy, Drohobych, Boryslav field.