Sailaway: Jacket for Neptun Deep Departs Saipem’s Yard

Why It Matters

The jacket’s departure marks a key construction milestone that brings the EU closer to diversifying its gas supply and reducing reliance on external imports, while showcasing Saipem’s capability to deliver mega‑offshore infrastructure.

Key Takeaways

• Neptun Deep jacket weighs 7,500 tonnes, 135 m tall.
• Saipem’s Arbatax yard built one of its largest offshore structures.
• Project includes 160‑km, 30‑inch gas pipeline to Romanian coast.
• Saipem 7000 crane will install jacket using eight 2.5‑m piles.
• OMV Petrom and Romgaz aim to boost EU gas supply.

Pulse Analysis

The Neptun Deep development marks the EU’s most ambitious offshore natural‑gas venture to date, targeting an estimated 4 billion € ($4.6 billion) investment in the Black Sea. With an expected output of up to 6 billion cubic metres of gas per year, the project is positioned to reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian supplies and support the bloc’s transition to a more diversified energy mix. Its scale—spanning a 1,000‑metre water depth and a 160‑kilometre pipeline—underscores the strategic priority placed on secure, domestic gas sources.

Italian contractor Saipem secured the full engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract in August 2023, demonstrating its capacity to deliver mega‑structures from its Arbatax yard in Sardinia. The 7,500‑tonne jacket, standing 135 metres tall, is among the largest units the yard has ever fabricated and will be transported by sea to the Black Sea. Once on‑site, Saipem’s flagship 7000 crane vessel will lift the jacket, set it vertically, and anchor it with eight 2.5‑metre steel piles, while topsides are being built in Indonesia.

The successful departure of the jacket signals a critical milestone for OMV Petrom and Romgaz, whose partnership aims to bring the first gas from Neptun Deep by the mid‑2020s. For the European gas market, the addition of up to 6 billion cubic metres annually could shave several percentage points off import dependence, offering price‑stability benefits for downstream industries. Moreover, the project showcases Saipem’s integrated offshore capabilities, potentially attracting further contracts as Europe accelerates offshore wind and carbon‑capture initiatives alongside traditional gas development.