Another step towards exploiting the Black Sea gas

A new important step for Romania's exploitation of the natural gas in the Neptun Deep perimeter, in the Black Sea, was taken on Thursday, with the signing of a declaration by Transgaz, OMV-Petrom and Romgaz regarding the conclusion of the natural gas conveyance contracts, announced the Energy Minister, Virgil Popescu.

The contract represents the firm commitment for the development of a gas pipeline between Tuzla and Podişor, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă also showed: "The document that has just been initialed envisages the construction of a natural gas transport pipeline on the Tuzla- Podişor route, which has a length of over 300 km. Estimated at 500 million Euros, this investment will make it possible for the gas from the Black Sea to enter the national transport system in the technological hub of Podişor and thus reach economic operators and households in the localities connected to the system."

The Prime Minister also said that another benefit of this project is the connection between the new sources of natural gas in the Trans-Balkan corridor and the vertical corridor which the BRUA pipeline is a part of, which connects the entire region of Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria. According to a Transgaz press release, the creation of a transport infrastructure to connect the natural gas available on the Black Sea shores and the BRUA corridor is a project of particular importance for Romania in terms of energy security, and the signing of these contracts is the main condition for the development of this infrastructure.

"We are experiencing a historic moment for the region’s and Romania’s energy security. After the successful completion of the BRUA-phase 1 gas pipeline, after the successful completion of the Ungheni- Chişinău gas pipeline, after the completion of the works that allow the international transport of natural gas in the reverse-flow technology at all interconnection points and after the start of gas exploitation from the Black Sea shallow water perimeters, now we are at the start of the construction of the Tuzla-Podişor gas pipeline that will allow the natural gas exploited by OMV Petrom and Romgaz from the Black Sea to reach the National Transport System and, implicitly, each locality from Romania that has access to the natural gas network", said the general director of Transgaz, Ion Sterian.

Romgaz emphasized that "signing the contract is one of the necessary conditions for the implementation of offshore investments and of those aimed at the development of the transport infrastructure necessary for taking over the gas from the Neptun Deep perimeter". "We believe that the Black Sea has a significant potential for natural gas production, and Neptun Deep is a strategic project for OMV Petrom and for Romania. It is at the center of our 2030 Strategy and will have an essential role for Romania's energy security. We are planning the final investment decision for the middle of 2023, with production to start in 2027", the OMV Petrom officials stated. (LS)