April 2013, Vol. 240 No. 4

Projects

Statoil Doles Out Contracts For Polarled Gas Pipeline In North Sea

Statoil has awarded three contracts for the long-distance Polarled gas pipeline in the Norwegian Sea. Total value is about $720 million.

The 299-mile, 36-inch pipeline will take gas from the Aasta Hansteen field spar platform to the gas plant at Nyhamna on Norway’s west coast, dedicated to the Ormen Lange field. Marubeni Itochu/JFE will fabricate the linepipe, with Wasco responsible for coating, and Allseas for offshore pipelay.

The steel order includes pipes, bends, and buckle arrestors. Around 325,000 metric tons (358,000 tons) of steel will be produced. Pipes will be shipped from the supplier in Japan to Malaysia where flow coating will be applied on the inside and anti-corrosion coatings on the outside. The pipes will be shipped to a newly established production base at Mo i Rana for application of a protective exterior concrete weight coating, before being stored until pipelay starts in 2015.

Preliminary engineering has started on the pipelay program. Allseas will use a dynamically positioned lay vessel without the use of anchors. The program starts with pulling in of the pipe at Nyhamna in March 2015 and will be completed with lay down at Aasta Hansteen in summer 2015. The contract includes an option for linepipe for a connection to the Kristin offshore complex. Last year Statoil and its partners submitted a $4.5-billion plan for installation and operation of Polarled to Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy.