The gas installation Ormen Lange, located in harsh conditions in the Norwegian Sea, is in spite of extreme circumstances safely delivering gas extracted from a depth of 3 000 metres through the world’s longest sub sea pipeline to British house holds.
21/10/2007 :: Early in October the wells came on stream and the transportation of gas from the far deep of the Norwegian Continental Shelf is a fact.
Reliable supplier to UK and EU
For the time being, the Ormen Lange field provides supplies to the English town of Easington. Over the next 40 years the sub sea installation is expected to meet 20 per cent of the United Kingdom’s gas needs.
”This project represents a significant contribution to energy security of natural gas to the EU”, said EU’s Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs.
At present, Norway covers for 17 per cent of Europe’s total gas consumption. Ormen Lange contributes to secure a stable energy supply for Europe. The gas supplies will in fact increase from 85 milliard cubic metres to 120 milliard cubic metres annually in the upcoming years.
Environmental safety
Strong ocean currents and extreme conditions at the bottom of the Norwegian Sea are challenges that had to be met at the international level. Norwegian and international research institutions, representatives from the industrial sector, and experts from various disciplines worked together to meet the challenges posed by this demanding project in an environmentally friendly way.
International collaboration resulted in environmentally facilities, where emissions are reduced to an almost zero level. The sea water is filtered to reduce the level of CO2 and chemicals such as NOx.
Enormous gas field
The Ormen Lange field is the second largest documented gas filed along the Norwegian coast line, after the Troll field. The field is 40 kilometres long and 10 kilometres wide, and lies some 3 000 metres under the surface of the Norwegian Sea. Ormen Lange was discovered in 1997 by the Norwegian oil and gas company Hydro, which has recently merged with Statoil. Hydro was also responsible for developing the field, which today is operated by Shell and other partners.
Never before has natural gas been transported onshore in such quantities from a sub sea installation. The extracted gas is transported by pipeline to the Nyhamna onshore processing terminal, before being taken further through the world longest sub sea pipeline, Langeled, that counts for 1 200 kilometre, via Sleipner platform before the gas hits UK.
The Name, Ormen Lange, stems from the Viking Age in Norway, and it is originally the name of the Norwegian King Olav Trygvasson’s long boat.
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs