(Credit: Saipem)
Saipem has confirmed the completion of a key offshore installation campaign for the Neptun Deep natural gas project in Romania, marking another milestone in the development of what is expected to become the European Union’s largest offshore gas project.
The campaign, carried out by the Saipem 7000 heavy-lift vessel, included the installation of the production platform’s 7,500-tonne jacket and 9,000-tonne topside, as well as associated offshore works forming part of the company’s engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract.
Awarded in 2023 by OMV Petrom and Romgaz, Saipem’s scope also includes subsea works at the Domino and Pelican fields and the installation of a 160-km, 30-inch offshore gas pipeline and fibre-optic cable linking the platform to the Romanian coast.
The jacket, fabricated at Saipem’s Arbatax yard in Italy, was transported to the Black Sea before being lifted into position and secured to the seabed with eight steel piles. The platform topside, built at the company’s Karimun yard in Indonesia, was subsequently installed to complete the offshore campaign. The offshore pipeline was laid using Saipem’s Castorone vessel in deep water and the Castoro 10 fleet in nearshore sections.
Once operational, the remotely controlled production platform will process gas from the Domino and Pelican fields before exporting it to shore through the new pipeline.
Jointly developed by OMV Petrom and Romgaz, the Neptun Deep project is expected to strengthen Romania’s natural gas production and contribute to European energy security through the development of Black Sea gas resources.
