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EnerMin: BRUA pipeline to operate in 2020 when Exxon, Petrom will extract Black Sea gas
The works at the BRUA (Bulgaria - Romania - Hungary - Austria) pipeline will start at end-2017, and the gas pipeline will turn operational in 2020, when ExxonMobil and OMV Petrom will commence to extract natural gas from the Black Sea, the Energy Minister, Toma Petcu told the public broadcaster Radio Romania Actualitati.
"According to the calendar assumed by Transgaz (gas transport national company), the works will kick off in the fourth quarter of 2017 and it is mandatory to be ready at end-December 2019. So, in 2020, it (the pipeline — ed. n.) must be operational. In 2020 as well, the ones with Exxon and Petrom finish their culvert works for the Black Sea shelf gases," the minister said.
As Petcu said, the BRUA pipeline is paramount to starting the gas extraction from the Black Sea by the Exxon and Petrom.
"BRUA is very important for this project, they will be interconnected," explained Petcu.
The minister asked Romgaz (the biggest national producer and supplier of natural gas of Romania) to finalise feasibility studies for the tailoring of new gas deposits nearby the pipeline, and not only, to store the gases at a small price during the summer and export them in the winter, when the prices are higher.
"This way, a greater stability is created and Romania could become a hub, an important gas market player," added Petcu.
He reminded that a gas hub exists in Austria wherein Romania could capitalise its resources at very good prices.
The works at BRUA interconnector will unfold on the area of 11 Romanian counties. The new pipeline will be 550 km long and will have a maximum 1.5 billion cubic metre / year to Bulgaria and 4.4 billion cubic metre /year to Hungary.