Integrated energy producer OMV Petrom and Romania's main gas supplier Romgaz announced the spud of the first well for development and production of the Pelican South and Domino natural gas fields in the Neptun Deep block, located 160 km offshore in the Black Sea.

The development plan for Neptun Deep includes a total of ten production wells, with four on Pelican South and six on Domino. Production is expected to begin in 2027, contributing approximately 8 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually to Romania’s supply once the project reaches full production capacity, the companies said.

OMV Petrom and Romgaz are jointly investing up to EUR 4 billion in total in the development.

Christina Verchere, CEO of OMV Petrom, highlighted the importance of this milestone, stating that the project will allow Romania to secure its natural gas needs from domestic sources and position itself as a key player in the European energy market. She also noted that the project is expected to generate approximately EUR 20 billion in revenues for the Romanian state over its lifetime.

Cristian Hubati, a member of OMV Petrom's Directorate, further detailed the drilling process, explaining that the first well on the Pelican South field is being drilled in waters approximately 120 meters deep, with the gas reservoir located about 2,000 meters below the seabed. The drilling of all ten wells is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2026.

Meanwhile, Răzvan Popescu, CEO of Romgaz, underscored the strategic importance of Neptun Deep, noting that the project will enhance the company's position in both the domestic and regional energy markets.

The well foundations for Pelican were installed using an advanced technology for offshore drilling, the CAN-ductor from Neodrill, OMV Petrom said. The drilling of the first well is estimated to take approximately 2-3 months and will be carried out using the Transocean Barents mobile drilling unit, which has been contracted especially for the project.

The infrastructure required for the development of the two fields includes three subsea production systems, one for Pelican South and two for Domino, the associated gathering pipeline network, a shallow-water offshore natural gas platform, the main natural gas pipeline to the shore at Tuzla, and a natural gas metering station. The offshore platform generates its own electricity, and the wells and fields will be operated remotely through a digital twin.

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.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)