1976, April - the marine drilling platform "Gloria" was built - the first of the series - (flag: Romania, code: YQFG, shipowner: "Petromar" Constanţa, port of registration: Constanța, 8,763 tr., shape: rectangular, dimensions : length: 52.43 m, breadth: 40.83 m, height: 6.40 m, draft: 5.16 m, crew: 78 members, no. of decks: 1, surface: 2,500 sq m, height: 70 m, helipad size: 24.40 m x 24.40 m, engines: 2 x 6LDSR-28-H, 3 x 12LDSR-28-H, generators: 2 x 800 Kw., 400V, 50 Hz., 3 x 1,840 Kw., AC, 1 x 140 Kw., 220V, 50 Hz., boilers: 2CAUX-ACV-AZL of 1,000 kg/h at 7 atm., 2CAUX-ACV-GEV of 400 kg/h at 7 atm., fuel: 477 mc , drilling water: 477 m3, potable water: 80 m3, liquid drilling mud: 254 m3, mud and cement: 37 m3, anchoring: 2 "Hall" type anchors of 4,500 kg, loading installation: 2 cranes of 70 tons, equipment of radio communications: radiotelephone, radio station, leg characteristics: triangular network of bars, no. of legs: 4, length: 122.00 m, sis characteristics lifting tem: electro-hydraulic, no. hydraulic lifting cylinders: 6/foot, lifting capacity: 2,430 to./foot, lifting speed: 18.6 m/h, drilling equipment characteristics - drill bit type: TD320-34R at 320 to., drilling aggregate type: TFM38 at 1,700 Kw., mud pumps: 2 x 850 Kw., maximum drilling depth: 6,000 m, working conditions - average water depth: 90 m, maximum water depth in tidal conditions: 94 m, maximum height of wave height: 12 m, period between waves: 10 seconds, maximum wind speed: 161 km/h, builder: 1975, Galati Shipyard; was launched on November 9, 1975).
Marine drilling activity in the Black Sea began on August 19, 1976, when the "Gloria" platform came into operation, it being located at a distance of 72 Mm East from Cape Midia, at a maximum water depth of 90 m. The first placement was in place 1 Ovidiu Est, the final depth achieved being 5,006 meters.
The next drilled wells were 12 Midia, (depth: 4,226 m) and 8 Lebăda Est (depth: about 3,000 m).
The first discovery of hydrocarbons took place in 1980. Hundreds of drillings were carried out, so that on May 7, 1987, at 16:45, the marine oil field that was exploited by "Petromar" Constanţa was penetrated. This is how the first information on the existence of oil and gas hydrocarbons from the Cretaceous geological era was obtained (the Cretaceous or the Cretaceous period represents the last part of the Mesozoic era, which succeeds the Jurassic, characterized by massive limestone deposits; it began about 150 million years ago ago and ended about 65 million years ago).
According to the news published in the mass media, during 2008, S.C. "Petromar" S.A. Constanta has significantly reduced its oil extraction from the "Histria" block (it includes the "Lebăda Est", "Lebăda Vest", "Sinoe" and "Pescăruş" deposits), from 1,500 tons/day (in 1997-1998 ) to over 800 tons (in 2008), the cause of this decline being the gradual depletion of existing resources in the deposits; instead, in the same area, the amount of extracted natural gas increased, and by December 2008, "Petromar" was to start exploitation near the Gura Portiţei landmark, at the "Neptun" oil block ("IV Delta" field). , hoping to obtain from that area 200-400 tons of fuel per day; the specialists estimated that the Constanta company would reach a constant level of daily production of 1,000-1,200 tons of oil, which would allow maintaining an annual production of over 10 million barrels of crude oil equivalent.
Simultaneously with the digging of the wells on the Lebăda Est structure (exploitation wells), "Gloria" was transformed into an exploitation platform, a situation existing in December 2010 (ensuring the exploitation of the wells on the Sinoe structure).
In the fall of 1982, the "Horizon" platform was put into operation, with which it was possible to locate the first quantities of oil and gas of economic interest (from the Albian geological era - the first floor (age) of the Middle Cretaceous, considered the last floor of the Lower Cretaceous) .
The following offshore drilling rigs came into operation as follows: 1984 - "Prometeu", 1985 - "Fortuna" (currently - December 2010 - named "Oriental 1" (name changed after sale)), 1986 - "Atlas" , 1987 - "Jupiter", 1988 - "Saturn" (all seven Romanian platforms were built in the Galati Naval Shipyard, starting in 1975; at the end of 2005, being in the patrimony of the "Petrom" company, six of the seven platforms have were sold to the company "Grup Servicii Petroliere", at "Petrom" only the "Gloria" platform remained in operation; the other platforms ("Orizont" and "Atlas") were located in the Persian Gulf, "Saturn" was located along the coasts of Romania , and "Prometheus" was near the coasts of Turkey).
The commissioning of these platforms meant the continuation of the drilling activity in the continental plateau of the Black Sea (shore of our country), making wells with depths between 2,000 m and 4,500 m.
At the same time as the drilling of the first exploitation and injection wells, the directional drilling activity was carried out, which led to the creation of inclined wells (30° - 60°) and horizontal wells (still made today).
In 1993, the construction of wells for external partners began (with the "Prometeu" platform in the Şabla area - Bulgaria).
Wells were dug with the "Orizont" platform in the Sea of Marmara, in the Eastern Mediterranean, in the Persian Gulf, after which, in 2000, it was upgraded to a Cantilever type platform (in the Lamprell shipyard).
The "Fortuna" platform drilled in the Sea of Marmara, after which it was transported to the Lamprell shipyard and upgraded to a Cantilever type platform.
From the spring of 2001, these platforms were moved to areas in the Persian Gulf, where they operated until November 2004 ("Fortuna") and January 2005 ("Horizon") - currently (December 2010), the platforms "Horizon" and " Fortuna" operates for foreign beneficiaries.
The "Atlas" platform, after performing some services for a foreign partner, was taken to the Aegean Sea, where it also carried out soundings, going to the Persian Gulf, in order to be upgraded to a "Cantilever" type platform.
This intensification of the drilling activity for external partners was possible thanks to the efforts made to equip and modernize the platforms with high-performance equipment, worldwide (mud pumps, devices for screwing/unscrewing rods, drilling air compressors, equipment for tracking drilling parameters , performance tools and devices, gels, shock absorbers, milling cutters, knives for cutting columns, etc.).
Sister platforms: "Horizon" (1981 - Galati), "Fortuna" (March 1985 - Galati), "Prometheus" (October 1985 - Galati), "Atlas" (October 1985 - Galati), "Jupiter" (July 1987 - Galati ), "Saturn" (August 1988 - Galati).
Source: Constantin Cumpănă, Corina Apostoleanu, 2011, "Memories about a lost fleet", vol. I - "Romanian ships of the Danube and the Sea", vol. II - "Unfinished Voyages", Constanța, Publisher: "Telegraf Advertising".
