Romania’s Competition Council has approved the acquisition of NIS Petrol by Romanian company Argenta, removing a regulatory obstacle to NIS’s planned withdrawal from the Romanian market. The decision comes as pressure continues over the Serbian oil group’s Russian ownership. NIS agreed in July to sell its entire stake in the Romanian subsidiary, though the buyer’s identity was not disclosed at the time.
Scope of NIS Petrol assets and upstream links
The Romanian business operates 19 petrol stations. Its activities extend beyond fuel retailing into onshore oil exploration, field development, crude production and wholesale trading in petroleum products. The transaction therefore covers downstream distribution assets alongside operations connected to Romania’s upstream oil industry.
The competition authority concluded that the acquisition would not create a significant threat to market competition. While the deal could result in a vertically integrated structure, the regulator identified no direct overlap between the companies’ activities. It also found that market positions remained below the 30% threshold used for assessing potentially affected markets.
Argenta ownership and industrial activities
Argenta is controlled by Romanian businessmen Iulian Stanciu and Adrian Crețoiu. Their wider investments include oilfield services company Foraj Sonde Videle. Argenta’s existing industrial activities include manufacturing metal components for construction.
The NIS transaction therefore adds oil and fuel-related operations to Argenta’s portfolio. For NIS, the disposal is part of a broader restructuring process shaped by US sanctions imposed in January 2025 due to Russian ownership. Russian shareholders continue to control the Serbian company.
NIS ownership under US sanctions pressure
Gazprom Neft holds 44.85%, while an additional 11.3% is held by Intelligence, a company indirectly controlled by Gazprom. The Serbian government owns 29.87%. Washington has demanded the withdrawal of Russian shareholders, placing NIS’s ownership structure and future operations under sustained pressure.
MOL, Hungary’s oil and gas group, is engaged in discussions over a possible acquisition of the Russian-held shares. The Romanian transaction is separate from those negotiations but reflects how NIS is reorganising its regional portfolio while longer-term ownership remains unresolved. The competition approval provides a path toward completing the Romanian divestment, although regulatory clearance does not itself confirm that the sale has closed.
