More than 60 years of OMV
The history of OMV begins more than 60 years ago. On July 3, 1956, the company name “Österreichische Mineralölverwaltung Aktiengesellschaft” is officially entered in the commercial register. After negotiations of the Austrian State Treaty, the Austrian state takes over oil and gas production, processing, and marketing. It is the beginning of an exciting journey.
1956-1965: The first decade (Pioneers & Infrastructure)
- 1956 (3 July) Founding of Österreichische Mineralölverwaltung Aktiengesellschaft (ÖMV Aktiengesellschaft)
- 1957 Natural gas stations Auersthal and Baumgarten go into operation
- 1960 The Schwechat refinery goes into operation
- 1965 Integration of the company’s first sales organization (Martha and ÖRÖP) - brand name Aral and Elan (since 1968)
1966-1975: The second decade (Establishing security of supply)
- 1968 First natural gas supply contract with the former USSR
- 1970 Adria-Vienna Pipeline goes into operation
- 1974 Development of the first gas storage in Europe
- 1974 Trans-Austria Gas Pipeline goes into operation (followed by West Austria Gas Pipeline in 1980)
1976-1985: The third decade (From national to international)
- 1983 The deepest drilling in Austria (Zistersdorf Übertief 2a) of 8,553 meters – at that time the deepest drilling in Europe (it is the deepest but not the longest in Europe)
- 1984 First unleaded gasoline in Austria
- 1985 First international E&P production in Libya (for the first time as operator, before that different interests in Iran, Tunisia, Ireland, Egypt, Norway, Gabon, Canada - however without any production offering economic growth potential)
1986-1995: The fourth decade (Becoming a global player)
- 1987 First step taken towards privatization: public offer of 15% of share capital
- 1987 Acquisition of the Burghausen Refinery
- 1989 Privatization of a further 10%
- 1990 The first ÖMV filling station opens in Wien Auhof
- 1990 Acquisition of Chemie Linz Group (Entry into plastics business)
- 1991 Entry into the international filling station business in southeast Europe
- 1994 IPIC (Abu Dhabi) acquires 19.6% stake in OMV
- 1994 Opening of the first Viva shop in Oberwart (founding a quality brand and establishing the importance of the non-oil business at the filling station)
- 1995 ÖMV renamed as OMV
1996-2005: The fifth decade (Stability)
- 1998 Acquisition of 25% stake in Borealis (today 36%)
- 2003 Austria’s largest oil discovery in the Vienna basin with 4.5 bn boe crude oil
- 2003 Founding of the CEGH (Central European Gas Hub) a virtual gas exchange that underlines the significance of the Baumgarten/March gas hub (founded in 1957)
- 2004 Acquisition of a 51% stake in the Romanian oil and gas group, Petrom
2006-2016: The sixth decade (Arriving in the future)
- 2006 Entry into the Turkish filling station business through acquisition of Petrol Ofisi
- 2008 OMV Austria reaches 100 mn t oil production mark
- 2010 Highest production level at OMV Austria since 1980 with 15.4 mn boe/ year
- 2013 OMV acquires shares in North Sea assets from Statoil
- 2015 Resolution for strategic cooperation with Gazprom (asset swap)
- 2016 On 3 July more than 24,000 employees from 60 nations in 30 countries celebrate OMV’s 60th birthday
2016 - today:
- 2017: Acquisition of 24.99% stake of Yushno Russkoje gas field in West Sibiria. Divestment of all stakes of Petrol Ofisi and OMV UK
- 2018: OMV awarded a 20% stake in two offshore oil fields in Abu Dhabi: SARB and Umm Lulu. OMV and Gazprom sign a “Basic Sale Agreement” which foresees a potential acquisition of a 24.98% interest in Achimov 4A/5A. Acquisition of the Shell Upstream Business in New Zealand
- 2019: OMV signs agreement for the acquisition of a 15% stake in ADNOC Refining (Abu Dhabi). Acquisition of a 50% stake in SapuraOMV Upstream in Malaysia
- 2020: OMV increases participation in Borealis up to 75%
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