Langeled pipeline
{{Short description|Gas pipeline from Norway to the UK}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox pipeline
| name = Langeled pipeline
| type = natural gas
| map = Kart rorledning lite.gif
| map_caption = Location of Langeled pipeline
| country = Norway, United Kingdom
| coordinates =
| photo = Easington Langeled Terminal.jpg
| caption = Easington terminal of the Langeled pipeline
| operator = Gassco
| partners = Petoro, Statoil, Norske Shell, DONG Energy, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Gassco
| length_km = 1166
| diameter_in = 42 to 44
| discharge = 25.5 billion cubic meters per year
| direction = east-south-west
| finish = Easington, United Kingdom
| est =
| through = Sleipner Riser platform
| par =
}}
The Langeled pipeline (originally known as Britpipe) is an underwater gas pipeline transporting Norwegian natural gas to the United Kingdom. Before the completion of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, it was the longest subsea pipeline in the world.
{{cite news
| url= http://uk.reuters.com/article/UK_SMALLCAPSRPT/idUKL1351839120070913?sp=true
| archive-url= https://archive.today/20120724051053/http://uk.reuters.com/article/UK_SMALLCAPSRPT/idUKL1351839120070913?sp=true
| url-status= dead
| archive-date= 24 July 2012
| title= Norway's Ormen Lange gas starts flowing to Britain
| first = Wojciech | last = Moskwa
| agency = Reuters
| date=2007-09-13
| accessdate=2009-03-21}}
{{cite news
| url= http://xn--90ab5f.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/nord-stream-passes-ships-and-bombs/436297.html
| title= Nord Stream Passes Ships and Bombs
| agency = Bloomberg
| newspaper = The Moscow Times
| date=2011-05-05
| accessdate=2011-09-10}}
History
The project was launched under the original name Britpipe. In October 2003, Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil and Statoil signed agreements to supply natural gas through the Britpipe.
{{cite news
| url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3161414.stm
| title= UK signs Norway gas deal
| publisher= BBC News
| date=2003-10-03
| accessdate=2009-10-03}}
The pipeline's construction began in 2004. The largest part of the pipeline was installed by Acergy Piper, a pipe-laying ship of Acergy.
{{cite news
| url= http://downstreamtoday.com/news/article.aspx?a_id=872
| title= Acergy Completes Langeled Ahead of Schedule
| publisher= Downstream Today
| date=2006-10-03
| accessdate=2009-03-21}}
Other pipe-laying ships used were Solitaire of Allseas, and Saipem 7000 of Saipem.
{{cite news
| url= http://downstreamtoday.com/news/article.aspx?a_id=825
| title= Langeled Pipeline to be Completed Below Budget
| publisher= Downstream Today
| date=2006-08-23
| accessdate=2009-03-21}}
The pipeline was opened in two stages. The southern section (Sleipner Riser platform to Easington) began piping gas on 1 October 2006, the northern section (Nyhamna to Sleipner Riser) opened in October 2007. The official opening of the project was held in London on 16 October 2006 by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Norwegian counterpart, Jens Stoltenberg.
{{cite news
| url= https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2006/oct/16/energy.greenpolitics
| title= Blair opens new gas pipeline
| author = Matthew Tempest
| author2 = Hilary Osborne
| publisher= Guardian
| date=2006-10-16
| accessdate=2009-03-21}}
Route
The pipeline runs {{convert|1166|km|mi}} through the North Sea from the Nyhamna terminal in Norway via the Sleipner Riser platform in the North Sea to Easington Gas Terminal in England.
{{cite news
| url= http://downstreamtoday.com/news/article.aspx?a_id=3411
| title= Rust-proofing the World's Longest Subsea Pipeline
| author = Rita Tubb
| publisher= Downstream Today
| date=2007-05-03
| accessdate=2009-03-21}}
The pipeline is designated to bring natural gas from the Ormen Lange gas process terminal to the UK, but through the connector at Sleipner Riser it provides also an opportunity to send gas through Gassco's existing network to continental Europe.
Technical description
The annual capacity of the Langeled pipeline is {{convert|25.5|e9m3|abbr=off}}. That equates to some 20% of Britain's peak gas demand.
{{cite news
| url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5394214.stm
| title= Gas pipeline to begin operations
| publisher= BBC
| date=2006-09-30
| accessdate=2009-03-21}}
With the energy content of natural gas at 39 MJ (megajoules) per normal cubic meter, the capacity energy flux is 31.5 GW (gigawatts).
The Langeled pipeline supplements the Vesterled system with annual capacity about 12 bcm, which runs from Heimdal Riser platform in the North Sea to St. Fergus in Scotland.
=Nyhamna-Sleipner Riser section=
The Nyhamna-Sleipner Riser leg has a diameter of {{convert|1067|mm|in}} and can operate with a pressure of 250 bar.
=Hub at Sleipner Riser=
At Sleipner Riser the Langeled has a connection to the existing Gassled transport system.
=Sleipner Riser-Easington section=
The Sleipner Riser-Easington leg has a diameter of {{convert|1118|mm|in}}, which makes it the largest submarine pipeline in the North Sea.
{{cite news
| url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120220122414/http://downstreamtoday.com/(S(5pbdh555yfss524521femirt))/news/article.aspx?a_id=841
| title= Statoil to Provide Technical Services to Langeled Pipeline System
| publisher= Downstream Today
| date=2006-09-06
| accessdate=2009-03-21}}
Its pressure is 155 bar.
Ownership and operation
The owner of the Langeled pipeline is Gassled. The operator for Langeled is Gassco and technical service provider is Equinor. Equinor also runs the gas export project. The principal funding for the project was provided by the syndicated loan structured by ABN AMRO and mainly subscribed by several banks, among them Barclays Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Defoe Fournier & Cie.
See also
{{Portal|Norway|Energy}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
{{Wikinews|Work begins on world's longest underwater pipeline}}
- [http://www.statoil.com/statoilcom/svg00990.nsf/UNID/F5255D55E1E78319C1256FEF0044704B?OpenDocument Langeled], Statoil website
- [http://www.gassco.no/wps/wcm/connect/gassco-en/Gassco/Home/var-virksomhet/ror-og-plattformer/langeled/langeled Langeled], Gassco website
Category:Natural gas pipelines in Norway
Category:Natural gas pipelines in the United Kingdom
Category:Pipelines under the North Sea
Category:Norway–United Kingdom relations