Last year, Romania ranked first in the European Union in terms of gas volumes extracted, overtaking the Netherlands, according to energy minister Sebastian Burduja.
The minister added that once the exploitation of gas reserves in the Black Sea begins, Romania will be able to export gas, and companies in energy-intensive industries will receive support to become more competitive.
“Last year, Romania marked a premiere, it became the number one gas producer in the European Union. We surpassed the Netherlands; we were in second place, and now we’ve moved to first. We are number one, and you can imagine that by the end of next year, when we also have Neptun Deep, we will be by far the number one, and we must play this major trump card wisely,” said Sebastian Burduja in a recent interview, cited by News.ro.
The official explained that approximately 10% of Romania’s gas production at present comes from shallow-water extraction in the Black Seam while the rest is onshore production. Once the Neptun Deep project begins in the Black Sea, however, Romania will be able to support its companies in the pharmaceutics, ceramics, and chemical fertilizer sectors.
In another interview last week, Burduja noted that the Neptun Deep project will double Romania’s gas production and bring EUR 20 billion into the national economy. He added that the estimates for Neptun Deep stand at around 100 billion standard cubic meters of gas, while Romania currently produces and consumes 8-10 billion annually.
The minister is also subject of a no-confidence vote filed against him by far-right opposition members of Parliament in the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) and the Young People's Party (POT). The motion argues that the minister is responsible for a "disastrous" handling of the energy sector which caused high energy prices. Burduja, in turn, argues that the far-right parties are doing Russia's bidding and attempting to keep the region dependent on Russian gas.
The motion will be debated and voted on Monday, March 31.
(Photo source: Sebastian Burduja on Facebook)
