Romania to Start Neptun Deep Gas Supplies in 2027, with Some Gas Headed to Moldova

Romania is set to begin gas production from the Black Sea’s Neptun Deep project in the first half of 2027, with output reaching full capacity by the end of the third quarter, OMV Petrom and Romgaz said. Work is progressing on schedule, the project operators said. The Neptun Alpha platform has been installed in shallow waters, the subsea pipeline has been laid, and seven of the ten planned wells have been drilled. Once the first gas enters the transmission network, operators will begin testing the system and gradually ramping up production, Rupor.md reports. “Once the first gas reaches the system entry point, the project will enter a phase of gradual production ramp-up and operational performance testing. Full production is scheduled for the end of the third quarter of 2027,” the companies said. The Neptun Deep project is valued at €4 billion, with recoverable reserves estimated at around 100 billion cubic metres. Production is expected to peak at 140,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day and remain at that level for almost 10 years. The development of the field will have a direct impact on the energy security of the region, including Moldova. Moldova’s state-owned gas company Energocom has already signed a three-year contract with OMV Petrom and Romgaz to purchase gas from Neptun Deep. Moldova is expected to receive gas equivalent to approximately a quarter of the country’s consumption from this source. The gas will be supplied to Moldova via the Iași-Ungheni-Chișinău pipeline, enabling the country to fully cover its basic natural gas needs and permanently reduce its dependence on alternative sources of imports. However, the price stipulated in the contract has not yet been disclosed.