Ormen Lange (Sea Serpent) Project
30 November 2005
WEIR Valves & Controls UK has been working closely with WEIR Norge over the past two years to secure business on this important new gas field development off the coast of Norway. On behalf of the local EPIC contractors FMC Kongsberg Subsea AS., WEIR Norge & WVC UK have developed a new valve for controlling MEG dosage application for each Christmas tree, on the first two templates to be installed on the sea-bed at 1,100 meters in 2005 which is state of the art and represents a quantum leap forward in technology to control hydrate formation.
The value of the first significant order obtained by WEIR Norge for eight 2.1/16" API 5000 units which includes the qualification of the Valves and Dantorque Actuators was valued at $1.4m, with an order expected in July for a further eight units valued at approx. $1.2m. WEIR Norge confirmed that a total of 54 valves could be required over the next three year period.
In May at the OTC exhibition in Houston Norsk Hydro presented a paper on the project and WEIR Valves & Controls were acknowledged as a key supplier of equipment, where a slide showing the dosage valve was presented. This was an excellent PR opportunity for WVC as most global oil majors and EPC contractors involved with deep water gas and oilfield development attended the presentation.
More importantly the valves supplied on this contract will stand as a major reference for all future deep sub-sea development projects worldwide where MEG injection will be required to deal with Hydrate formation problems. Already Norsk Hydro have advised their next large venture as part of a consortium to develop the giant Shtokman gas field in the cold waters off the Barent Sea offering the Russian gas monopoly Gazprom a subsea technical solution. WEIR Valves & Controls will be positioned to become a world leader in the supply of special service valves for severe applications, whether it is in the North Sea or off the coast of Mexico.
