Prime Minister Marcel Čolaku and representatives of OMV Petrom and Romgaz are making statements to the press from 10.00 a.m. regarding the Neptun Deep project. We will remind, the other day OMV Petrom and Romgaz approved the development plan for commercial natural gas fields Domino and Pelican Sud in the perimeter of Neptun Deep.

Oil and gas – RomaniaPhoto: Ink Drop / Alamy / Alamy / Profimedia

HotNews.ro will broadcast live text statements from the Victoria Palace:

Cholaku:

  • Romania is taking a decisive step towards its strategic independence
  • It is time to put this resource at the heart of our economic development
  • This is a strategic project for Romania
  • I am convinced that operations will also be coordinated so that in 2027 we have the first gas molecules from the Black Sea
  • We are ready to determine our energy course, we will be the guarantor of energy security
  • It is important to start gas extraction as soon as possible

Bang:

  • This is an important step for Romania’s energy independence in a difficult context
  • It was a move catalyzed by what happened in the energy market
  • In about 4 years, in 2027, Romania may declare its gas independence
  • Citizens and all institutions in the country will benefit from this gas, and of course there will be a quantity for export to other European countries

Investments of 4 billion euros

OMV Petrom and Romgaz announced that they have approved the development plan for the Domino and Pelican Sud commercial natural gas fields in the Neptun Deep perimeter, which will be submitted to the National Mineral Resources Agency for approval. The operator is OMV Petrom, each company has a 50% stake in the project.

  • Greenpeace opposes Neptune Deep project: Disturbances to fish and marine mammals due to noise and vibration

According to the cited source, OMV Petrom and Romgaz will invest up to 4 billion euros in the development phase of the project, which will allow the extraction of about 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas.

“To illustrate the size of the project, production is equivalent to the current annual natural gas demand of ~4.3 million households, multiplied by ~30 times. It is also an important step for our 2030 strategy, through which we support the energy transition in Romania and in the region,” says Cristina Vercere, CEO of OMV Petrom.

For his part, Rezvan Popescu, CEO of Romgaz, said that from 2027 we will have a new source of natural gas that has the potential to significantly increase natural gas production in the country.

When will mining begin on Neptun Deep and how big will the mining be

The first production is expected in 2027. Production from the field will be approximately 8 billion cubic meters per year (~140,000 boe/d) for approximately 10 years.

The specified volumes represent the estimated cost of the project. The exact final volumes must be confirmed by the National Mineral Resources Agency after approval of the development plan.

According to the quoted statement, the infrastructure required for the development of the Domino and Pelican Sud offshore natural gas fields includes 10 wells, 3 subsea production systems and the corresponding gas pipeline network, an offshore platform, a main gas pipeline to Tuzla and a gas measuring station.

The platform produces its own electricity. The entire infrastructure will be managed remotely using a digital replica (digital double). This allows you to optimize processes and will contribute to the improvement of environmental indicators, making energy consumption more efficient and reducing emissions.

When was the first gas discovered?

The perimeter of the Neptune Deep in the Black Sea has an area of ​​7500 km2 and is located approximately 160 km from the coast, in waters with a depth of 100 to 1000 meters. Perimeter exploration was accelerated in 2008 and included two 3D survey campaigns and two exploration drilling campaigns. The first discovery of gas took place in 2012.

On August 1, 2022, Romgaz became the sole shareholder of ROMGAZ BLACK SEA LIMITED (created by ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Romania Limited) as a result of the completion of the transaction for the acquisition and transfer of all shares issued by the company (which constitute 100% of the share capital) of ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Romania Limited, which owns 50% of the acquired rights and obligations accepted under the Petroleum Agreement regarding the deep-water zone of the XIX Neptune Sea Perimeter in the Black Sea.