Seventy years of progress
Recent Developments (2014-2026)
Start of production from Austria's largest natural gas discovery in 40 years
OMV and XRG completed transactions to create Borouge International, boosting global chemicals leadership
OMV inaugurated innovative Green Hydrogen and ReOil chemical recycling plant at Schwechat refinery
OMV unveiled new corporate identity
OMV began rolling out EV charging stations under the brand name eMotion in several CEE countries
Strategy 2030 was announced
Agreement signed to increase OMV's shareholding in Borealis to 75%
OMV established a major Downstream Oil position in Abu Dhabi
In 2026, three years after its discovery, we started the production of Austria’s largest natural gas discovery in 40 years, strengthening domestic supply security. That same year, the successful formation of Borouge International was announced, bringing together Borealis, Borouge, and North American producer NOVA Chemicals to create a global polyolefins leader.
In 2025, OMV marked an important milestone with its ReOil® technology: The plant at the Schwechat refinery reached full operation. That same year, we announced the start of construction of Austria’s largest plant for the production of hydrogen from renewable energy sources – a 140-megawatt electrolyser facility in Bruck an der Leitha. Also in 2025, together with Wien Energie and as part of our joint venture deeep, we advanced deep geothermal energy projects intended to contribute to lower-carbon district heating in the greater Vienna area.
In 2022, we launched Strategy 2030 to develop OMV into an integrated energy, fuels and chemicals company with an increasing focus on selected lower-carbon and circular businesses.
In 2020, we increased our shareholding in Borealis to 75%, further strengthening our position in the chemicals sector.
International Expansion and Strategic Partnerships (1999–2013)
Stakes acquired in Norway's Gullfaks and Gudrun fields
ReOil® patent filed
Domino-1 gas discovery in Romanian Black Sea (Neptun license)
Full control of Borealis Group acquired (with the International Petroleum Investment Company of Abu Dhabi, IPIC)
Acquisition of a 51% majority stake in Romania's Petrom (EUR 1.5 bn, largest transaction at the time)
Austria's biggest oil find in 25 years (Weinviertel)
Operations began in Tunisia
Operations began in New Zealand
In 2012, we filed the patent application for ReOil®, a technology developed in-house that converts post-consumer waste into synthetic feedstock – turning used plastics back into a raw material for new production. It was an early signal of the direction we were taking, at a time when few in the industry were thinking this way.
In the same year, we also made a significant gas discovery in the Domino-1 well in the Romanian Black Sea through our Neptun exploration license. The following year, we acquired stakes in Norway's Gullfaks and Gudrun fields, expanding our presence in the North Sea.
In 2005, together with IPIC, we acquired full control of the Borealis Group, consolidating our position in the chemicals and polyolefins industry.
In 2004, we acquired a 51% majority stake in Romania's Petrom for EUR 1.5 billion – at the time the largest transaction in our history – making OMV the largest oil and gas group in Central Europe.
The early 2000s brought some defining moments in our company history. In 2003, an exploration well in the Weinviertel region of Lower Austria uncovered the biggest oil discovery in Austria in 25 years, equal to roughly a third of our Austrian annual production at the time. In the same year, we began our operations in Tunisia.
Privatization and Expansion (1975–1998)
First move into chemicals – 25% stake in Borealis
Rebranding from ÖMV to OMV
Retail expansion into southeastern Europe
First retail filling station opened in Vienna's Auhof
Burghausen refinery acquired
15% share offering on Vienna Stock Exchange
Our first move into chemicals came in 1998, with the acquisition of a 25% stake in Borealis – one of the world's leading polyolefin producers.
In 1994, IPIC – the International Petroleum Investment Company of Abu Dhabi – became our first significant international institutional investor, taking a 19.6% stake. The following year, we officially rebranded from ÖMV to OMV, a small but deliberate step toward stronger international recognition.
1990 marked an important milestone in our retail history: we opened our first filling station in Vienna's Auhof area, the beginning of what would become a recognizable presence for customers across the region. That footprint soon crossed borders, with stations opening across southeastern Europe in 1991.
In 1987, we offered 15% of our shares on the Vienna Stock Exchange, making OMV the first state-owned company to undergo partial privatization in Austria.
In the same year, we expanded our refining capacity through the acquisition of the Burghausen refinery, just across the Austrian border in Germany, which remains a key part of our operations today.
Founding and Early Years (1956–1974)
Europe's first natural gas storage facility developed
Trans Austria gas pipeline commissioned
First retail steps with Martha/ÖRÖP under Aral and Elan brands
Adria Vienna pipeline enters service (Trieste–Schwechat)
First natural gas contract with the Soviet Union
Opening of Schwechat refinery
Official registration as ÖMV Aktiengesellschaft
In 1984, we introduced Austria's first unleaded gasoline, a meaningful step toward cleaner mobility.
In 1974, we commissioned the Trans Austria pipeline, reinforcing Austria's role as a regional transit corridor. In the same year, we developed Europe's first natural gas storage facility, a milestone that would prove essential to the continent's energy security for decades to come.
In the 1970s, we established our role as a key supplier in Central Europe. We had signed the first natural gas contract with the Soviet Union in 1968. In 1970, the Adria Vienna pipeline entered service, linking the marine terminal in Trieste, Italy, with our Schwechat refinery and transporting crude oil to Austria. In the same period, we took our first steps in retail, integrating Austria's first sales organizations, Martha and ÖRÖP, under the Aral and Elan brands and bringing fuel directly to Austrian drivers.
In 1960 we made our entry into crude oil processing by opening the Schwechat refinery, just outside Vienna – a facility that remains one of Central Europe's most significant refineries to this day.
On July 3, 1956, our company was officially registered as ÖMV Aktiengesellschaft, succeeding the Soviet Mineral Oil Administration, which had been established in the Soviet occupation zone of Austria after the Second World War. The following year, the Auersthal and Baumgarten natural gas extraction stations began operating, marking our first steps in domestic energy production.