Premier Nicolae Ciuca stated that the extraction of the first natural gas from the Black Sea could take place this year, saying that over the period to come investments in the Neptun Deep start as well as those connected to the exploitation of the gas from the deep. Nicolae Ciuca stated on Monday at Radio Romania Actualitati that Romania is not affected by the lack of energy and gas resources. ‘Romania is not a country which is affected by the lack of energy and gas resources. Romania has potential in both domains and that is why we come with two parts. One is to sign up in the programmes of the European Union to develop new energy sources and we have as objective to develop the renewable sources of energy, and as regards the independence of gas resources against the Russian Federation, we have decided that through this law (the offshore law) to insure stability and legal predictability to the business environment in the domain’ the premier said. He said that extraction of the first natural gas from the Black Sea will take place this year. ‘There is the possibility that in a short period of time we start investments in the Neptun Deep and insure the exploitation of the gas in the Black Sea, at the same time, we insure the exploitation of the gas on the national territory from the deep, this investment being able to insure gas starting with 2024. From the Black Sea we have the possibility to get gas at the middle of this year. There is investment made by Black Sea Oil and Gas and signed the reception document, with the possibility that we can insure one billion of cubic metres of gas annually through this investment and of course, at the end of 2026, the beginning of 2027 to have the first gas from Neptun Deep’ explained premier Nicolae Ciuca.