Romanian oil and gas group OMV Petrom might be interested in taking over the stake of its partner - US group ExxonMobil - in the Neptun Deep offshore gas project in Romania’s Black Sea section.

OMV Petrom and ExxonMobil hold 50% of the project each, Exxon also being the operator.

OMV Petrom could join Romanian state-controlled Romgaz and Polish state-controlled oil and gas group PGNiG to buy Exxon’s 50% stake, according to Economica.net.

This would make it the majority partner in the association. Several other investors have shown interest in this project. Lukoil PJSC (the parent company in Russia, not its subsidiary in the Netherlands, Lukoil Overseas Atash, which is already involved in the Romanian offshore perimeter Trident) and MOL Oil and Gas Plc (the Hungarian state controlled oil company) have reportedly consulted under confidentiality agreements the data made available by Exxon under the sale process, Economica.net reported quoting unofficial sources.

Black Sea Oil And Gas (owned by the American fund Carlyle), which has already decided to invest in the exploitation of another gas perimeter in the Black Sea, and an association headed by Cox Oil, are interested as well. Cox Oil has a production portfolio in the Gulf of Mexico of 85,000 barrels per day, more than half of OMV Petrom's production.

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editor@romania-insider.com