The EU’s largest gas extraction project is moving ahead. OMV subsidiary OMV Petrom and state-owned Romgaz have decided to move forward with the Neptun Deep gas project in the Black Sea. They named the project after Neptune, the Roman god of freshwater and the sea. However, the gas project is no gift from God. Neptun Deep and the companies promoting it are threatening the Black Sea’s sensitive ecosystem and our climate. Romanian and Austrian environmental groups have come together in their joint outrage to fight Neptun Deep and its backers at all levels.
160 kilometers off the Romanian coast, around 100 billion cubic meters of gas are hidden under the seabed. The project comprises the following parts: Two wells are to be drilled on the seabed (in the Domino field and Pelikan South reservoir), the gas from which will then be transported to the Neptun Alpha platform. A pipeline around 160 kilometers long will connect the offshore platform with the measuring station on land. Construction work is due to start this year and is planned to be completed by 2027. Both the Danube delta - a biodiversity hotspot - and Ukrainian waters - where acts of war and mines also take place - are located close to the planned project.
