Statoil has started laying a 482km pipeline that will transport gas from the Aasta Hansteen field in the Norwegian Sea, to Nyhamna in western Norway.
The Solitaire pipe-laying vessel is being used to lay pipelines in water depths of 1265m. It is the first stage of the Polarled installation project.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The project includes expansion of the Shell-operated gas plant at Nyhamna.
The pipeline, which is expected to be laid by the end of August, will take gas from Aasta Hansteen to Nyhamna in 2017.
Polarled PRO project manager Alfred Øijord said: "When the pipeline is laid, we will install an end manifold with connection points for Aasta Hansteen and any future fields. Six T-joints on the pipeline for any further connections are also a unique feature of Polarled."
Gassco will operate the pipeline and the Nyhamna gas processing plant when they come onstream.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataA separate pipeline between Polarled and the Kristin platform will connect new and existing infrastructure on Haltenbanke.
Preparations will also be made for the tie-in of existing and future discoveries in the area.
The Aasta Hansteen field development includes a SPAR platform, which Statoil claims to be the first such installation on the Norwegian continental shelf.
SPAR is a floating installation that features a vertical column moored to the seabed. The installation has conventional topsides with processing facilities.
Image: Solitaire pipe-laying vessel has started laying the Polarled gas pipeline. Photo: Courtesy of Svein Roger Ivarsen/Shell.
