Mažeikiai Oil Refinery

The ORLEN Lietuva oil refinery (formerly Mažeikių Nafta) near Mažeikiai is Lithuania's largest industrial facility and one of the biggest refineries in the Baltic region. Its towers, chimneys, and flare stacks create a dramatic industrial landscape visible from far across the flat northern Lithuanian terrain, especially at night when illuminated. The refinery's story mirrors Lithuania's post-independence journey. Built during the Soviet era as part of the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline system, it became a symbol of Lithuanian energy dependence after independence. Its privatization saga — involving American, Russian, and finally Polish investors — reads like a geopolitical thriller. Today, as ORLEN Lietuva, it processes around 10 million tonnes of crude oil annually and remains Lithuania's most strategically important industrial facility.