OMV Petrom signed the contract for the decommissioning of Gloria Jack-up offshore rig

OMV Petrom is starting the decommissioning of the Gloria offshore platform, which has reached the end of its economic lifetime limit after more than 40 years in service.

It is a complex process, which will be undertaken for the first time in Romania. GSP Offshore, a Romanian company, has won the tender for removal services, with an estimated value of approximately 5 million euro.

”The Gloria platform has made its full contribution to ensuring Romania’s energy supply. Its cumulated production over the last 20 years is equivalent to over 20 million car refuels and the energy for heating 170.000 homes. However, the platform has reached the end of its economic lifetime and it needs to be decommissioned. We will make every effort to carry out this process efficiently and in a safe manner. The Gloria platform will remain in the history of the offshore industry in Romania. We will continue to operate the other six offshore production platforms, which provide over 16% of the Group’s production, “said Peter Zeilinger, member of OMV Petrom Executive Board responsible for Upstream.

The company took the decision to decommission Gloria in 2018. Later in the same year, a tender was launched for the removal services which was won by GSP Offshore, a Romanian company.

The decommissioning solution consists in reinstating the platform jacking system, positioning the Gloria platform on a cargo barge and transporting it to the shore. 

History of the Gloria platform

The Gloria platform is the first offshore drilling platform in Romania.

It was commissioned in 1976 and was built based on a license from Offshore Co., USA. In 1980, the Gloria platform completed drilling at Lebada 8 – which became the first commercial offshore hydrocarbon discovery in Romania.

Between 1976 and 1986, Gloria operated as a drilling rig, drilling 17 wells with a total cumulated length of approx. 50,000 meters.

Between 1987-1998, Gloria was used as a production platform for the first developed Romanian offshore field – Lebada East.

Since 1998, the Gloria platform has been in its current location, approximately 30 km from the shore, in meters water depths of around 40 meters and was used as a production platform. Current production is approx. 200 barrels per day, accounting for less than 0.15% of OMV Petrom’s total production.

Source: www.omvpetrom.com