February 4 (SeeNews) - Romania-based Black Sea Oil & Gas (BSOG) expects to start production within the offshore Midia Natural Gas Development (MGD) project in the first half of next year, the country's energy ministry said.
"BSOG is the main holder of the MGD project, the first new infrastructure and natural gas production project in the Romanian offshore perimeter in the Black Sea carried out in the last 30 years in the country. The estimated completion date of the works and the start of natural gas production is the first half of 2021," the energy ministry said in a Facebook post on Monday after a meeting with BSOG CEO Mark Beacom.
BSOG and co-venture partners Petro Ventures Resources and Gas Plus International pledged in February 2019 that they will invest $400 million (361 million euro) in the MGD project.
Two months later, in April, the companies received the approval of their plan for development of Ana and Doina gas fields located within the MGD project from the country's National Agency for Mineral Resources.
In August, BSOG and Romanian gas transmission company Transgaz signed an agreement to build a 24.37 km pipeline that will feed gas from the two fields into the national transmission system.
The MGD project consists of 5 offshore production wells (1 subsea well at Doina field and 4 platform wells at Ana field), a subsea gas production system over the Doina well which will be connected through an 18 km pipeline with a new unmanned production platform located over Ana field.
A 126 km gas pipeline will link the Ana platform to the shore and to a new onshore gas treatment plant in Corbu commune, Constanta county, with a capacity of 1 billion cubic metres per year representing 10% of Romania’s consumption.
Black Sea Oil & Gas (BSOG), owned by Carlyle International Energy Partners and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is a Romania-based independent oil and gas company, targeting exploration and development of conventional oil and gas resources. The company’s current portfolio is made up of XV Midia Shallow Block and XIII Pelican Block concession in the Romanian Black Sea where it is the operator and holds 65% interest.
Gas Plus is the fourth largest producer of natural gas in Italy active in exploration, production, purchase, distribution and sale to retail customers. It holds 15% interest in the XV Midia Shallow Block and XIII Pelican Block concession in the Romanian Black Sea. The remaining 20% interest is owned by Petro Ventures, a private investment group.
($=0.9036 euro)