OMV Petrom, Romgaz and Transgaz signed the contract for the transportation of natural gas from the Black Sea into the National Transport System, through the SNT Tuzla entry point.
Thus, Ion Sterian, the presidentof Transgaz, Christina Verchere, the general manager of OMV Petrom, and Răzvan Popescu, the general manager of Romgaz signed the declaration on the conclusion of the natural gas transport contracts on Thursday, in the presence of the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, the Minister of Energy Virgil Popescu, of the head of SGG, Marian Neacșu and of the head of OMV, Alfred Stern.
The contract was concluded for the period September 2026 – September 2042. Based on the transport tariffs applicable at the current date, the value of the contract is estimated at 276 million euros.
The signing of the contract took place after the successful completion of the incremental capacity reservation process for the entry/exit point to/from SNT Tuzla.
“Today we took an important step together with our partners. We believe that the Black Sea has significant potential for natural gas production, and Neptun Deep is a strategic project for OMV Petrom and for Romania. It is at the heart of our 2030 Strategy and will have an essential role for Romania’s energy security. We plan the final investment decision for mid-2023, with production to start in 2027,” said Christina Verchere, CEO of OMV Petrom.
“The signing of the document by Transgaz, OMV-Petrom and Romgaz is the firm commitment for the development of the Tuzla-Podisor gas pipeline and for the final investment decision estimated at 4 billion euros, expected to be taken in the summer of this year. We all want this project of strategic importance for Romania to move forward, and the exploitation of natural gas from the Neptun Deep perimeter to start as soon as possible,” also said Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă.
“Transgaz is ready to build this gas pipeline under the same conditions of safety, efficiency and performance, which it fulfills every time, with every investment. We are ready to hand over the site to the winner of the tender starting from March 27, 2023 for the execution of the gas pipeline construction works, which will last until April 20-25, 2023, depending on weather conditions, to carry out our mission in terms of ensuring Romania’s energy independence and we will fulfill the obligations assumed before the authorities of the Romanian state, as well as the obligations assumed at the international level with professionalism and devotion,” added Ion Sterian, the general manager of Transgaz.
“The signing of the contract represents an important milestone in the development of the Neptun Deep project, the document constituting, among others, one of the necessary conditions for the implementation of both offshore investments and those aimed at the development of the transport infrastructure necessary to take over the quantities of natural gas that will be produced in the Neptun Deep perimeter,” also said Răzvan Popescu, general manager of Romgaz.
With a value currently estimated at approximately 478 million euros (including VAT), the project consists in the construction of a natural gas transport pipeline Tuzla-Podișor, 308.3 km long, which will connect the natural gas resources available onshore The Black Seas and the BRUA corridor.