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PM Ponta pays visit to Ocean Endeavour offshore drilling rig in the Black Sea
Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Tuesday paid a visit to Ocean Endeavour offshore drilling rig in Romania's deep water sector of the Black Sea, where ExxonMobil and Petrom are conducting exploration drills for natural gas deposits, informs a Government press release.
According to the cited source, 'the operations are conducted at Domino 2 Well of the Neptune Block, located approximately 200 kilometres offshore, at an about 800-metre depth.'
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Rocky Becker, ExxonMobil Exploration Vice President, and Clay Vaughn, ExxonMobil Vice President, Deepwater Projects, but also by Minister Delegate for Energy Razvan Nicolescu.
In this context, Ponta underscored the Government's interest in stimulating investments in the oil and natural gas sector, including in the Black Sea area.
'These resources will have an essential contribution to Romania's energy security and that is why the Government will continue to support the important investments that ExxonMobil, Petrom and other companies are developing in this period in Romania's sector of the Black Sea,' the Prime Minister said, according to the cited source.
At the same time, Ponta hailed the intentions of ExxonMobil company of being present on the Romanian gas market and encouraged the speed up of the drilling programme carried out by ExxonMobil-Petrom consortium.
'Moreover, [the Prime Minister] appreciated the cooperation between this consortium and the national natural gas transport company, Transgaz, for coupling the resources of the Black Sea to the gas market of Romania, according to the Agreement concluded between these companies. On the occasion of the visit to Ocean Endeavour rig, Prime Minister Victor Ponta appreciated the significant number of Romanian specialists and workers conducting the works and encouraged the company to continue to draw Romanian workers in offshore energy projects,' the Government also informs.