en.Wedoany.com Reported - OMV Petrom, in partnership with S.N.G.N. ROMGAZ, has completed the installation of the offshore production platform for the Neptun Deep natural gas project in the Black Sea, Romania's largest natural gas project, with production scheduled to begin in 2027.
The newly installed Neptun Alpha production platform is located at a water depth of approximately 120 meters, with a structural weight exceeding 16,500 tons and a height of over 225 meters. Saipem manufactured the platform's jacket at its Arbatax shipyard in Italy and built the topside modules at its Karimun shipyard in Indonesia. The installation work utilized the Saipem 7000, the world's third-largest semi-submersible crane vessel.
The platform is used to process natural gas and transport it to the onshore transmission system. The overall Neptun Deep project includes 10 production wells in the Pelican South and Domino fields, three subsea production systems, associated flowlines, an offshore platform, a submarine natural gas pipeline to Tuzla, and a natural gas metering station. The installation of the 160-kilometer pipeline has been completed, and construction of the Tuzla gas metering station and control building is underway.
Christina Verchere, CEO of OMV Petrom, stated that Neptun Deep is a strategic project for Romania, contributing to the country's energy security and reducing dependence on imports. Six of the 10 development wells have been completed, and the 160-kilometer pipeline connecting to the shore has also been installed. The next phase of the project will involve connecting infrastructure components, continuing to drill production wells, integrating subsea systems, connecting offshore assets to the transport pipeline, and executing a comprehensive testing program.
The Neptun Deep block covers an area of approximately 7,500 square kilometers, located about 160 kilometers off the Romanian coast, with water depths ranging from 100 to 1,000 meters. Exploration began in 2008, with the first natural gas discovery made in the Domino-1 well in 2012. In June 2023, the interest holders made the final investment decision and approved the development plan for the Domino and Pelican Sud reservoirs. In July 2025, OMV Petrom discovered a new natural gas reservoir in Spineni, marking a significant advancement in the energy sector of Southeast Europe.
