OMV Petrom and S.N.G.N. ROMGAZ SA have completed the offshore installation of the Neptun Alpha production platform for the Neptun Deep natural gas project in Romania’s Black Sea. Production is scheduled to begin in 2027.
The platform was installed in water depths of about 120 m. It weighs approximately 16,500 t and has a total height of more than 225 m.
Neptun Alpha will process natural gas from the project’s reservoirs and transfer it to the pipeline system carrying the gas to shore.
The jacket was manufactured by Saipem at its Arbatax yard in Italy, while the topsides were built at the company’s Karimun yard in Indonesia. Offshore lifting and installation were carried out using the Saipem 7000 semi-submersible crane vessel.
The support structure was secured to the seabed with eight piles, each measuring more than 2 m in diameter. The platform topsides are fully automated and designed for remote operation.
A dedicated support vessel is also being built for operation and maintenance activities. It will be able to accommodate up to 90 people.
Six of the project’s 10 development wells have been completed, along with installation of the 160 km pipeline to shore. Construction of the gas measurement station at Tuzla and the control building is continuing.
The next stage will include further drilling, installation and integration of interfield subsea pipelines and umbilicals, and connections between the offshore facilities and the transport pipeline. The systems will then undergo testing before the planned start of production.
The Neptun Deep production infrastructure covers the Pelican South and Domino fields. It includes 10 wells, three subsea production systems, associated collector pipelines, an offshore platform, a natural gas pipeline to Tuzla and a gas measurement station.
