Installation work has started for Norway’s largest pipeline to the Johan Sverdrup field.
The 173mile pipeline will carry 600,000 barrels of oil at peak production from the field, the the Mongstad terminal near Bergen.
Operations to put the 36 inch pipeline in place have started onboard the Sapiem Castonone pipelaying vessel.
Statoil’s Geir Bjaanes, responsible for subsea, power and pipelines for the Johan Sverdrup project, said: “The Castorone is now inititating pipelaying operations in the Fensfjord.
“The vessel will lay as much as 36,000 pipes – in total more than 400 km – when installing the oil and gas export pipelines for the Johan Sverdrup project.
“Assuming everything goes according to plan, the oil pipeline will reach the Johan Sverdrup field in July.”
Johan Sverdrup is one of the five largest oil fields on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, and has estimated recoverable resources of 3.1billion barrels of oil equivalent.
Phase one is expected to start up late next year.