OMV Petrom advances Neptun Deep project with contracts
OMV Petrom has awarded over 80% of the execution agreements to progress the Neptun Deep natural gas project offshore Romania. Two new contracts were recently awarded.
The company signed an agreement with Transocean Ltd. for the semi-submersible drilling rig Transocean Barents for a minimum period of 1 and ½ years and another with Halliburton Romania for integrated drilling services.
Neptun Deep covers 7,500 sq km in the Black Sea offshore Romania in water as deep as 1,000 m. It is the largest natural gas project in the Romanian Black Sea and the first deepwater offshore project in Romania (OGJ Online, Feb. 22, 2012). OMV Petrom expects to extract roughly 100 billion cu m of gas (gross) over the project’s lifetime, which it says will make Romania the largest gas producer in the European Union (OGJ Online, July 3, 2023).
The agreement for the sixth-generation semi-submersible drilling rig includes crew and associated services, products, equipment, and materials. Mobilization to the Black Sea is scheduled to begin towards end-2024, with drilling activities planned in 2025. In total, 10 wells are to be drilled.
Halliburton Energy Services Romania together with Newpark Drilling Fluids Eastern Europe will provide integrated drilling services. Halliburton’s international and local experience in Romania will be deployed on a range of services such as cementing, directional drilling, and well completions.
OMV Petrom earlier this year awarded an engineering, procurement, construction, and installation contract to Saipem SPA for Neptun Deep’s development. Startup is expected in 2027 (OGJ Online, Aug. 4, 2023).
With these latest commitments, OMV Petrom and Romgaz are on track to deliver first gas from Neptun Deep in 2027.
The infrastructure required for the development of two fields comprises three subsea production systems, one at Pelican South, and two at Domino, with the associated flow lines and umbilicals, a shallow water offshore gas platform, the main natural gas pipeline to shore at Tuzla and a natural gas metering station. The offshore platform generates its own power.
The wells and fields will be operated remotely, through a digital twin. Natural reservoir energy is used to transport the gas to shore, eliminating the need for gas compression.
OMV Petrom is operator of the project through a 50-50 partnership with Romgaz.