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OMV Petrom working at top speed to safely start Neptun Deep production in early 2027 (CEO)
The Neptun Deep offshore gas project is progressing according to plan and we will continue to work at top speed, so as to safely start production at the beginning of 2027, OMV Petrom CEO Christina Verchere declared in an interview with AGERPRES.
She emphasized that the project is in the stage of contracts awarding and of obtaining the necessary approvals, and that it is being handled by an international team with experience in deep-sea projects.
Regarding gas sales, although OMV Petrom and Romgaz are partners in the Neptun Deep project, the two companies make independent decisions, and as far as OMV Petrom is concerned, we believe that Romania is an attractive market due to its proximity. Given that the gas market operates on a European scale, we are actively exploring all available options, the CEO said.
According to the company official, OMV Petrom is also working on developing a greener and more diversified portfolio through investments in renewables, biofuels, alternative mobility, and plans to invest approximately 3.7 billion euros in low and zero carbon emission projects. Following these investments, by 2030 the company is supposed to have an installed photovoltaic capacity of over 1 GW, a significant share of biofuels and a network of over 500 alternative fuel stations.
In the interview, Christina Verchere also spoke about the Arpechim refinery, noting that following the 2011 decision to shut it down, the group plans to put the land back into the economic cycle, given its high potential for being repurposed into an industrial park.
Speaking about the company's latest financial results, she emphasized that they were obtained in a completely different environment than in 2022, with the net three-quarter profit falling about 70 percent, but investments surging 50 percent.
Verchere also spoke in the interview about OMV Petrom's getting delisted from the London Stock Exchange, but also about gas and fuel supply in the current geopolitical context.
"The company will take all the necessary measures to ensure that the operations are carried out under safe conditions and in full compliance with the provided licenses and Romanian law. Moreover, we emphasize that OMV Petrom currently has operations in the Black Sea. The Russia-Ukraine conflict caused no interruption in these operations. OMV Petrom is in close contact with the Romanian authorities that are relevant for its activities," said Verchere.
"In terms of electric mobility, we already have almost 180 charging points installed in our regional network, by the end of the year we aim to have 270," Verchere pointed out.
In conclusion, the OMV Petrom CEO said that "Most of the products we put on the market are obtained here, in Romania, so we have greater security of supplies compared to imports. And we have a strong history regarding uninterrupted supply, including in complex contexts."
AGERPRES
