The Langeled pipeline is part of the Ormen Lange project, the largest gasfield under development on the Norwegian continental shelf. The field is situated at a depth of 1,000m in the Norwegian Sea, 100km NW of Nyhamna on the Norwegian coast. Planned gas volumes for transport through Langeled to the UK will be up to 20bn cum/yr after the project comes on-stream in October 2007.
At Easington, the Langeled pipeline will connect to a new gas-reception facility just west of the existing Centrica terminal, at which the gas will be treated to meet pressure and temperature conditions required for further transport through the Transco distribution network, the UK’s National Transmission System. Construction of the pipeline will require around 1m ton of steel and, according to Hydro, is affecting most of the world’s pipeline production and laying resources. Estimates for the UK part of the project indicate that almost å£100m will be invested in the Easington area over a two year period.
Hydro is operator of Langeled in the development and construction phase, after which Langeled will be included into the Norwegian Gassled gas-transportation system as from start of operations, and Gassco will take over operation of the pipeline at that time, scheduled for 1 September. Statoil is managing the gas export pipeline project in co-operation with Hydro, and the project organization is staffed with personnel from both companies. The UK’s Centrica will operate the new reception facility at Easington once it becomes operational in later this year.
As well as Gassco, the participating interests in the Langeled joint venture are Hydro (17.553%) (operator for the development phase), Petoro 32.716 %, Statoil 14.947%, Shell 16.585%, BP 10.498%, ExxonMobil 6.922%, and ConocoPhillips 0.779 %.
At the end of March, Acergy’s LB200 picked-up the end of the 42-in line from Nyhamnma to Sleipner laid last year by Solitaire, 33km from Nyhamna, and laying is continuing SW towards Sleipner. Laying north from Sleipner will start in August, when the dynamically-positioned Allseas vessel Solitaire will be used. The pipeline will be laid NE, and it is expected that Solitaire will lay-down its end if the pipeline in November. The two pipeline ends will be welded together in 2007. The 44-in line from Sleipner to Easington was also laid last year. The pipeline system is completed by twin 30-in lines that run 130km from the field to the processing plant at Nyhamna: these will also by laid by Solitaire during this summer.
The landfall at Easington consists of a vertically-curved 380-m long tunnel under the 20-25-m high cliffs, from a coffer-dam at the beach to the new receiving facilities. Installation of the new landfall pipeline requires dredging approximately 15km out from the shoreline, and the pipeline trench will be backfilled after installation. The main landfall works contractor is Jan De Nul (UK). The contractor for the detailed engineering, procurement assistance, and construction supervision of the new gas-receiving facility is Parsons E&C Europe.