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
Drilling has started in March 2025 and is underway for the 10 planned wells - four on Pelican South and six on Domino.
Production wells are being drilled using the Transocean Barents mobile offshore drilling unit. This giant unit travelled from Cartagena, Spain, to the Romanian coast and later offshore, in the Black Sea, passing underneath the Bosphorus bridges. Follow its journey in the videos below:
Production Platform Construction Progressing
Work is progressing on the Neptun Deep production platform. In Italy, the 140-meter-tall steel jacket, weighing over 7,000 tonnes, is being built to anchor the platform in waters around 100 meters deep. At the same time, the topside is taking shape in Indonesia. Once completed, the platform will collect and process natural gas from the Black Sea and deliver it to shore.
Pipeline and Shore Connection Advancing
Fabrication is ongoing for the pipeline that will collect and transport natural gas from the Neptun Deep platform to shore. Progress continues at the Tuzla metering station, a key facility for measuring and regulating gas flow. Work is also underway at the connection point between the offshore pipeline and the onshore infrastructure - an essential link in delivering Black Sea natural gas to Romania’s energy system.
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).