(WO) — The jacket for the Neptun Deep gas development has departed Saipem‘s Arbatax shipyard in Sardinia following completion of load-out operations, marking a major milestone for Romania’s flagship Black Sea project.
Neptun Deep, jointly developed by OMV Petrom and Romgaz, is the largest offshore natural gas project currently under development in the European Union. Total investment in the development is estimated at up to €4 billion.
The structure weighs approximately 7,500 metric tons and is one of the largest ever fabricated at the Sardinian yard. Measuring about 135 m in height with a base of roughly 50 m by 50 m, the jacket is being transported horizontally. Once it reaches the Black Sea, it will be lifted into position by Saipem’s Saipem 7000 crane vessel and installed on the seabed using eight steel piles measuring 2.5 m in diameter.
Saipem was awarded the Neptun Deep development contract in August 2023. The project includes engineering, procurement, construction and installation of the offshore production platform. The jacket fabricated in Sardinia will support a topside currently being built at Saipem’s Karimun yard in Indonesia.
In addition to the platform, Saipem’s scope includes subsea developments for the Domino field, located in approximately 1,000 m of water, and the Pelican field, in about 125 m of water depth. The contractor will also install a 160-km, 30-in. export pipeline and an associated fiber-optic cable connecting the offshore facilities to the Romanian coast.
The Neptun Deep development is expected to play an important role in expanding Romania’s offshore gas production and strengthening European energy supply diversification.
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