OMV Petrom, Romgaz Spud First Well in Neptun Deep Gas Project

SNGN Romgaz SA and OMV Petrom SA have launched development drilling in the Neptun Deep gas block on Romania’s side of the Black Sea, expecting to start production 2027. At its peak Neptun Deep will add 8 billion cubic meters (282.52 billion cubic feet) a year to Romania’s natural gas production, according to the partners. They are undertaking the project as 50-50 co-venturers. OMV Petrom, majority-owned by Austria’s state-backed OMV Group with investment from the Romanian state, and Romania’s majority state-owned Romgaz peg their investment in the project at up to EUR 4 billion ($4.3 billion). “By developing this project, Romania can secure its natural gas needs from domestic sources and become an important player in the European market”, OMV Petrom chief executive Christina Verchere said in a joint press release. Romgaz deputy chief executive Aristotel Jude commented, “The well spud in Neptun Deep is the first offshore key-operation in the Black Sea and represents the fulfillment of the development-exploitation work programs by both titleholders, being within the project schedule”. The Neptun Deep project will exploit the Domino and Pelican South fields. The block sits some 160 kilometers (99.42 miles) from shore in water depths of about 1,000 meters (3,280.84 feet), according to figures from Romgaz. Ten wells are to be drilled: 6 in Domino and 4 in Pelican South. The first well spudded is in Pelican South; the well will take around 2-3 months to complete drilling, the joint statement said. The rig is Transocean Barents, while integrated drilling services have been contracted to Halliburton Energy Services Romania and Newpark Drilling Fluids Eastern Europe. “The well foundations for Pelican were successfully installed using an advanced technology for offshore drilling, the CAN-ductor from Neodrill, that minimizes the overall environmental footprint of the drilling process”, the statement said. Infrastructure for the 2 fields will include 3 subsea production systems (1 for Pelican South and 2 for Domino), a gathering pipeline network, a shallow-water offshore natural gas platform with its own power system, a main gas pipeline linked to shore and a gas metering station. “A key aspect of the development concept is that the natural energy of the reservoir is used to transport the natural gas to shore, eliminating the need for compression”, the companies said. “This, along with other project features, ensures that emissions from the Neptun Deep project are kept to a minimum, significantly below industry benchmarks”. “In addition to the drilling operations, work continues on various components of the Neptun Deep project: the production platform is under construction, systems for the subsea infrastructure are being manufactured, the support field vessel is being built, and the natural gas metering station is also under construction”, they said. To contact the author, email [email protected]

SNGN Romgaz SA and OMV Petrom SA have launched development drilling in the Neptun Deep gas block on Romania’s side of the Black Sea, expecting to start production 2027.

At its peak Neptun Deep will add 8 billion cubic meters (282.52 billion cubic feet) a year to Romania’s natural gas production, according to the partners. They are undertaking the project as 50-50 co-venturers.

OMV Petrom, majority-owned by Austria’s state-backed OMV Group with investment from the Romanian state, and Romania’s majority state-owned Romgaz peg their investment in the project at up to EUR 4 billion ($4.3 billion).

“By developing this project, Romania can secure its natural gas needs from domestic sources and become an important player in the European market”, OMV Petrom chief executive Christina Verchere said in a joint press release.

Romgaz deputy chief executive Aristotel Jude commented, “The well spud in Neptun Deep is the first offshore key-operation in the Black Sea and represents the fulfillment of the development-exploitation work programs by both titleholders, being within the project schedule”.

The Neptun Deep project will exploit the Domino and Pelican South fields. The block sits some 160 kilometers (99.42 miles) from shore in water depths of about 1,000 meters (3,280.84 feet), according to figures from Romgaz.

Ten wells are to be drilled: 6 in Domino and 4 in Pelican South. The first well spudded is in Pelican South; the well will take around 2-3 months to complete drilling, the joint statement said.

The rig is Transocean Barents, while integrated drilling services have been contracted to Halliburton Energy Services Romania and Newpark Drilling Fluids Eastern Europe.

“The well foundations for Pelican were successfully installed using an advanced technology for offshore drilling, the CAN-ductor from Neodrill, that minimizes the overall environmental footprint of the drilling process”, the statement said.

Infrastructure for the 2 fields will include 3 subsea production systems (1 for Pelican South and 2 for Domino), a gathering pipeline network, a shallow-water offshore natural gas platform with its own power system, a main gas pipeline linked to shore and a gas metering station.

“A key aspect of the development concept is that the natural energy of the reservoir is used to transport the natural gas to shore, eliminating the need for compression”, the companies said. “This, along with other project features, ensures that emissions from the Neptun Deep project are kept to a minimum, significantly below industry benchmarks”.

“In addition to the drilling operations, work continues on various components of the Neptun Deep project: the production platform is under construction, systems for the subsea infrastructure are being manufactured, the support field vessel is being built, and the natural gas metering station is also under construction”, they said.

To contact the author, email [email protected]

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