OMV Petrom has launched the environmental approval process for a new offshore exploration well in the Neptun Deep block, aiming to determine whether additional gas deposits exist beyond the roughly 100 billion cubic meters already confirmed through earlier drilling at Pelican Sud and Domino.
Together with state-owned Romgaz, OMV Petrom holds the concession for the perimeter, which is expected to deliver Romania’s first gas from this major offshore discovery in 2027, once the ten development wells currently being installed on the seabed enter production.
The new well, named Anaconda-1, is part of the obligatory work program under the concession agreement. Failure to drill this deep exploration well could result in the companies forfeiting part of the licensed area. Anaconda-1 is planned to reach nearly 3,700 meters below the seabed in waters about 1,500 meters deep. Earlier estimates place the cost of the operation at around 62 million dollars. The drilling campaign will determine whether commercially viable volumes of natural gas exist in this specific geological structure.
According to concession requirements, OMV Petrom and Romgaz must complete one additional deep-sea exploration well beyond prior work. Two prospects were evaluated: Nard-1 and Anaconda-1. The Nard prospect would require drilling to roughly 3,200 meters in 970 meters of water, with a cost similar to that of Anaconda-1. Ultimately, Anaconda-1 is the well for which environmental documentation has been submitted, marking the next step in assessing the full potential of Romania’s largest offshore gas project.
