Transocean Barents, the semi-submersible offshore mobile drilling unit contracted for the Neptun Deep project, has arrived in Constanța, OMV Petrom announced on Sunday.
“The platform’s arrival marks a crucial milestone in our effort to develop Romania’s first deepwater gas project, together with our partner Romgaz. Neptun Deep is a strategic project for Romania and the EU. It will contribute to the country’s energy independence and economic growth. We are focused on completing the project safely and efficiently as we move toward the first gas deliveries,” said Christina Verchere, CEO of OMV Petrom, in a company statement.
Transocean Barents safely reached Constanța after an 18-day journey, departing from Cartagena, Spain, at the end of October. It navigated under the Bosphorus Strait bridges, which required lowering its derrick—a world first for Transocean and this type of platform, the statement noted.
Before departing Cartagena, the platform underwent significant structural modifications to enable the derrick-lowering operation. Preparing Transocean Barents for the journey to the Black Sea required approximately 750,000 work hours and 8 months of preparation.
“The platform underwent a complex preparation process. Essentially, the derrick, weighing around 220 tons, was folded onto the deck to allow passage under the Bosphorus Strait bridges. The crew will now perform the reverse operation and prepare the equipment for drilling so that we can safely begin operations in 2025,” explained Cristian Hubati, member of the OMV Petrom Executive Board, responsible for Exploration and Production.
The Neptun Deep project is being developed by OMV Petrom and Romgaz (through its subsidiary Romgaz Black Sea Limited), with each company holding a 50% stake in the project. The development phase investments total up to €4 billion. Total production is estimated at approximately 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas, with the first gas deliveries expected in 2027.
Following the investment decision in June 2023, execution agreements were signed with major international companies: the Transocean Barents drilling rig was contracted for a minimum of 18 months, while integrated drilling services will be provided by Halliburton Romania. The necessary infrastructure to develop the Domino and Pelican South commercial fields includes 10 wells, three subsea production systems with associated gathering pipelines, an offshore platform, the main gas pipeline to Tuzla, and a gas metering station.
The platform generates its own power and operates at the highest standards of safety and environmental protection. After its arrival in Romania, the offshore drilling platform will undergo preparatory work such as raising the derrick and installing drilling equipment for its upcoming mission: drilling production wells for the Neptun Deep project. The estimated investments for the development phase of Neptun Deep amount to nearly €4 billion, with a total production forecast of approximately 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas. The first gas deliveries are expected in 2027.
The unit arrived safely in Constanța after an 18-day journey, departing from Cartagena, Spain, at the end of October and passing under the Bosphorus Strait bridges.
The unit arrived safely in Constan?a after an 18-day journey, departing from Cartagena, Spain, at the end of October and passing under the Bosphorus Strait bridges.