OMV Petrom and Romgaz have installed the Neptun Alpha production platform at the Neptun Deep gas development in the Romanian Black Sea ahead of planned first production in 2027, according to OMV Petrom.
The 16,500-tonne structure stands more than 225 metres tall and was installed in water about 120 metres deep using Saipem’s semi-submersible crane vessel Saipem 7000.
Saipem fabricated the steel jacket at its Arbatax yard in Italy and the topsides at Karimun in Indonesia. Eight piles, each more than two metres in diameter, secure the jacket to the seabed.
The fully automated topsides are designed for remote operation, leaving the platform normally unmanned. A dedicated operations and maintenance vessel is under construction and will be able to accommodate up to 90 people.
Six of the project’s 10 production wells have been completed, together with the 160-kilometre export pipeline linking the offshore development to Romania’s coast. Remaining work covers four wells, interfield subsea pipelines and umbilicals, offshore integration and testing.
“The installation of the production platform in the Black Sea represents one of the most important stages of the project,” OMV Petrom chief executive Christina Verchere said.
The production system will include four wells at Pelican South and six at Domino, three subsea production systems, gathering pipelines, Neptun Alpha, the export line to Tuzla and an onshore gas metering station.
OMV Petrom operates Neptun Deep and holds a 50% interest, with Romgaz owning the other half. Development spending is expected to reach up to €4bn ($4.57bn), split equally between the partners. The fields are estimated to contain about 100bn cubic metres of recoverable gas and are expected to produce around 8bn cubic metres a year. The project lies about 160 kilometres offshore and is expected to double Romania’s gas production and allow the country to become a net exporter.
OMV Petrom is an integrated energy company active across southeastern Europe. Austrian energy group OMV owns 51.2% of the company, while the Romanian state holds 20.7%.
Romgaz is Romania’s largest natural gas producer and main supplier. The Romanian state owns 70%, while its subsidiary Romgaz Black Sea holds the group’s interest in Neptun Deep.
Saipem is an Italian offshore engineering and construction contractor.