OMV Petrom, Romgaz install offshore platform at Romania's Neptun Deep gas project

SEATTLE (Oil Monster): OMV Petrom, the largest integrated energy producer in Southeast Europe, and Romgaz, the main gas supplier in Romania, have completed the installation of the offshore production platform for the Neptun Deep natural gas project in the Black Sea, marking a key milestone for the country's largest gas development.

The platform, named Neptun Alpha, was installed in waters around 120 meters deep using Saipem's 7000 crane vessel and keeps the project on track to begin production in 2027, OMV Petrom said on Monday.

The platform weighs 16,500 tons and stands over 225 meters high. It will process gas produced from the offshore Domino and Pelican South fields before it is transported to shore through a 160-km pipeline.

Christina Verchere, CEO of OMV Petrom, said six of the project's 10 production wells had been completed, while installation of the export pipeline to shore had also been finished.

"Neptun Deep is a strategic project for Romania that will contribute to the country's energy security and reduce dependence on imports. The installation of the production platform in the Black Sea represents one of the most important stages of the project and confirms its steady progress," Verchere was quoted as saying.

The companies said work will now focus on installing subsea pipelines and umbilicals, completing the remaining wells and carrying out testing ahead of start-up next year.

The Neptun Deep development includes 10 production wells, three subsea production systems, an offshore platform, a gas pipeline to the Black Sea town of Tuzla and an onshore gas metering station.

"Today, we mark the completion of a key milestone in the Neptun Deep project, bringing us much closer to first natural gas production in 2027. The Neptun Alpha platform is the project's offshore epicenter, where are installed all equipment and installations required to process the natural gas from reservoirs," Aristotel Jude, Deputy CEO of S.N.G.N. ROMGAZ S.A also said.

Courtesy: www.aa.com.tr