OMV/Romgaz begin drilling first offshore well in Romania, gas production expected by 2027

OMV Petrom and Romgaz have commenced drilling the first well under the Neptun Deep project on Romania’s Black Sea shelf.

Report informs, citing a joint press release from the companies, that the Neptun Deep block, located 160 km offshore, comprises two fields—Pelican South and Domino. The project is progressing as planned, with first gas production expected in 2027. Once at full capacity, Neptun Deep is projected to produce 8 billion cubic meters of gas annually, positioning Romania as a key player in the European energy market.

A total of 10 wells are planned—four at Pelican South and six at Domino. The first well is being drilled at Pelican South, situated at a depth of approximately 120 meters, with its gas reservoir located around 2,000 meters beneath the seabed.

Drilling of the initial well will be conducted using the Transocean Barents rig and is expected to take around 2-3 months.

Gas extraction will be carried out through three subsea production systems, a shallow-water offshore gas platform, and a pipeline transporting the gas onshore to the Tuzla area.