Tuesday 11 September 2018

Norway’s ‘largest and longest’ oil pipeline in place

An oil pipeline said to be the largest and longest in Norway has reached the Johan Sverdrup field in the North Sea.

The 36-inch pipeline extends 283km from the Mongstad oil terminal outside Bergen to the giant field, which at peak will transport 660,000 barrels of oil.

That is valued at more than NOK350 million (£32m) each day, according to Equinor.

It added the Saipem Castorone vessel started laying the pipelines in late April this year, which lies 537 metres below the sea surface at its deepest point.

Geir Bjaanes, responsible for subsea, power and pipelines for the Johan Sverdrup project said: “We have together with our supplier Saipem succeeded in laying the oil pipeline to Johan Sverdrup without any serious incidents.

“It has been a significant operation, involving more than 600 people at the most, who have welded together over 23,000 pipes to create what has now become Norway’s largest and longest oil pipeline.”

The vessel is now preparing to lay the 156km-long gas pipeline, from where gas will be shipped to Kårstø.