Neptun Deep: Tuzla-Podișor ready for first gas in 2027 — NRG-IA

Romania is nearing the moment when gas from Neptun Deep will flow from offshore infrastructure into the National Transmission System. Transgaz Director General Ion Sterian inspected the points in Tuzla where Black Sea production will actually enter the national grid: OMV Petrom's Gas Metering Station and Transgaz's Valve Station No. 2, where the Tuzla–Podișor pipeline begins. The 308.3-kilometer pipeline, built to take in gas available at the Black Sea shore, is ready for this stage. "The Black Sea Shore–Podișor gas transmission pipeline is a strategic, vital project," Sterian said, noting that the infrastructure "is ready to take in natural gas from the Black Sea." Neptun Deep and Romania's gas grid meet at Tuzla The gas route is now physically outlined from the offshore fields to the National Transmission System. Gas produced in the Pelican South and Domino fields will be processed on the Neptun Alpha platform, then transported through the approximately 160-kilometer subsea pipeline to the shore. At Tuzla, it will pass through OMV Petrom's metering station, reach Transgaz's Valve Station No. 2, and from there enter the Tuzla–Podișor pipeline and the national grid. OMV Petrom's Tuzla station is designed for a nominal operating flow rate of 22.3 million standard cubic meters per day and a maximum flow rate of 26.9 million standard cubic meters per day . The maximum designed pressure is 73 bar at the inlet and 63 bar at the outlet. The distinction between the two flow rates is important: 22.3 million standard cubic meters per day represents the nominal operating level, while 26.9 million represents the maximum capacity reported for the facility. The metering station is the final onshore link under direct development within Neptun Deep. OMV Petrom continues to report ongoing work at the Tuzla station and the control building, in parallel with the integration and testing of the project's other components. Tuzla–Podișor carries Black Sea gas to the heart of the system The pipeline built by Transgaz spans 308.3 kilometers and connects the Black Sea shore area to the existing infrastructure of the National Transmission System and the BRUA corridor. The project is valued at approximately €500 million . The pipeline is built telescopically. The first section, Tuzla–Amzacea, is 32.4 kilometers long, has a DN1200 diameter, and a technical capacity of 12 billion cubic meters per year . The Amzacea–Podișor section is 275.9 kilometers long, has a DN1000 diameter, and a technical capacity of 6 billion cubic meters per year . The infrastructure interconnects with other components of the NTS and BRUA, allowing the gas to be integrated into the national grid and providing access to regional interconnectors. This architecture also explains why the technical capacity is not identical along the entire length of the pipeline. Tuzla–Podișor does not function as an isolated pipe that must carry the entire volume from the Black Sea to its end point, but rather as part of a network where gas can be taken in and redistributed through the National Transmission System. Offshore development is already in an advanced stage of construction Offshore, Neptun Deep went through some of its most important execution phases to date in 2026. OMV Petrom and Romgaz installed the Neptun Alpha production platform, located in an area with a water depth of approximately 120 meters. The platform weighs over 16,500 tons and has a total height of over 225 meters. OMV PETROM S.A. Also by the summer of this year, six of the ten production wells planned for Pelican South and Domino were completed, and the approximately 160-kilometer pipeline between the offshore infrastructure and the shore was installed . Work continues with drilling the remaining wells, installing pipelines and subsea connections between the fields, integrating offshore components, and the testing program required before production begins. Neptun Deep is developed in equal shares by OMV Petrom, the project operator, and Romgaz. Development investments are estimated at up to €4 billion , and recoverable volumes are estimated at approximately 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas . Upon reaching plateau production, the project is estimated to add approximately 8 billion cubic meters per year to Romania's gas production. Transgaz estimates first volumes in the first half of 2027 OMV Petrom's official timeline maintains the start of production in 2027 . Ion Sterian went further with his estimate, stating this week that the first gas volumes from Neptun Deep are expected to enter the system "in the first half of next year." The difference is one of timeline precision: 2027 represents the official deadline communicated by the Neptun Deep operator, while the first half of the year is the estimate expressed by Transgaz's Director General. The coming months must link the two major components already built — the offshore infrastructure and the onshore transmission system — by completing the…