Neptun Deep - A stronger Romania. With energy from the Black Sea.
Neptun Deep is the largest natural gas project and the first deep offshore project in Romania, with a significant contribution to the country’s economic development and security of energy supply.
Neptun Deep is a strategic project for Romania, creating strong development opportunities for the country.
Once developed, Neptun Deep will contribute to Romania’s energy security and independence, support the country’s energy transition and drive its economic development. With estimated recoverable volumes of approximately 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas, Neptun Deep will position Romania as the largest gas producer in the European Union. To illustrate the scale of the project: the estimated natural gas production is equivalent to roughly 30 times the current annual demand of around 4.3 million households in Romania.
Key Figures
costs equally split with ROMGAZ
estimated natural gas recoverable volumes
estimated contributions to Romania's state budget
estimated direct carbon emissions
Neptun Deep block:
- Located in the Romanian sector of the Black Sea, ~160 km away from shore
- Covers an area of 7,500 km²
- Water depths between 100 to 1,000 metres
Neptun Deep project:
- Developed by OMV Petrom - operator - and ROMGAZ, each with a 50% stake
- Development investment of up to €4 bn
- First gas: 2027
Development concept powered by Technology and Digitalization
The Neptun Deep development will feature 10 wells on the Pelican South and Domino fields, 3 subsea systems, flow lines, an offshore platform, a gas pipeline to Tuzla and a measurement station.
The shallow water platform is fully unmanned and self-powered and meets top safety and environmental standards. Operations will be managed remotely via a digital twin, enhancing process efficiency, reducing emissions and optimizing energy use for improved environmental performance.
Neptun Deep is among the first in the industry to use continuously direct electrically heated flowlines, ensuring reliable gas transport and reducing operational costs through cutting-edge thermal management.
The innovative design and process technologies deliver gas with significantly lower direct carbon emissions than industry averages. At plateau production, the carbon footprint of Neptun Deep operations is expected to be around 2.2 kilograms of CO2 per barrel of oil equivalent, almost 8 times lower than the industry average.
Track the progress
Drilling ongoing
The development concept includes ten production wells: four on Pelican South field and six on Domino. From these 10 wells, 6 have been completed. The wells are being drilled using the Transocean Barents mobile offshore drilling unit and the project is progressing according to plan, with first gas estimated for 2027.
Transocean Barents is one of the most advanced semi-submersible drilling rigs of its generation, designed for challenging offshore environments and deep water operations. With a main deck of around 90 by 70 meters, dynamic positioning capabilities and the capacity to operate in deep water, the rig brings the scale and technology needed for a complex offshore project such as Neptun Deep.
Production Platform
The Neptun Alpha production platform collects and processes natural gas from the fields and transfers it to the transport infrastructure that will bring it to shore. It is a normally unmanned platform, operated remotely via a digital twin. The platform was installed in waters approximately 120 meters deep. It weighs 16,500 tonnes and has a total height of over 225 meters – taller than six “Infinity Columns” stacked on top of one another.
The platform structures were manufactured by Saipem at its shipyards: the jacket in Arbatax, Italy, and the topsides in Karimun, Indonesia. They were installed using Saipem 7000, the third-largest semi-submersible crane vessel in the world.
Pipeline installed, Onshore Works Advancing
Works on the 160 km pipeline that will bring natural gas from the Black Sea to shore have been completed. The pipeline segment near Tuzla was installed through a 900-metre microtunnel passing under the beach, minimizing the impact on the beach area and helping protect the coastal environment. Once onshore, the natural gas will be measured and prepared to meet quality specifications before being delivered into Romania’s national gas transmission system.
Construction of the Tuzla gas metering station is at an advanced stage, and it is expected to be completed in the coming months.
Custom Support Vessel Under Construction
A new field support vessel is being built specially for the Neptun Deep project. Its hull is under construction in Poland and it will be fully equipped in Norway. Measuring ~90 metres in length, the vessel is designed to carry up to 90 people in single cabins, transport supplies and serve as a base for technicians. It will also feature an offshore crane to support operations at sea.
Impact in Romania
Neptun Deep is the largest natural gas project and the first deep offshore project in Romania. It will contribute to the country’s economic development and security of energy supply. Read more about its expected impact on the Romanian economy from an independent study performed by Consilium Policy Advisors Group (CPAG).