Italy’s engineering, drilling, and construction services giant Saipem has confirmed the completion of an offshore installation campaign, crucially placing a new production platform at a multibillion-euro natural gas project in the Romanian waters of the Black Sea.
The Italian firm’s Saipem 7000 semi-submersible crane vessel marked a pivotal achievement with the completion of the offshore installation campaign for the production platform associated with the €4 billion Neptun Deep gas development project. This milestone is particularly noteworthy as it represents the largest offshore natural gas project currently underway within the European Union (EU).
This significant announcement came just days after the project operator OMV Petrom and its partner, Romgaz, proudly unveiled the installation of the Neptun Alpha platform. It followed the successful delivery of both the jacket and the topsides, which were meticulously manufactured by Saipem at its shipyards in Arbatax, Italy, and Karimun, Indonesia, respectively. The Neptun Deep project is anticipated to commence production by 2027.
The installation operations involved the precision placement of a jacket structure, which stands around 135 meters tall and weighs over 7,500 tonnes. This impressive structure was fabricated at Saipem Offshore Construction’s yard in Arbatax, making it one of the largest constructions ever produced at that site. Once transported to the Black Sea, the jacket was maneuvered, positioned, and secured to the seabed with eight steel piles, showcasing the intricate logistical capabilities of Saipem.
Following this, the installation included the approximately 9,000-tonne platform topside, recognized as another impressive module built at Saipem’s Karimun yard. Once operational, this fully automated platform will remotely control the process of feeding gas into the 160-kilometer offshore pipeline, which was laid by vessels from Saipem’s fleet, including the Castorone for deep-water installation and the Castoro 10 for near-shore installation. This completion represents a crucial step towards initial production from the Neptun Deep project.
Saipem emphasizes that this accomplishment underscores its proficiency in delivering complex offshore energy infrastructure projects, blending engineering expertise with advanced execution capabilities and an industry-leading fleet. The company stated, “The project highlights the contribution of Italian industry and engineering to the development of strategic energy infrastructure for Europe, ultimately supporting the continent’s energy security and diversifying supply sources.”
Recently, Saipem has secured a series of notable contracts, including a drilling job with Eni along the coast of Côte d’Ivoire, reflecting the company’s capacity to expand its footprint across diverse regions and projects.