By the OGJ Online Staff
LONDON, May 9 -- Gas transport from the Norwegian North Sea to the Belgium's Zeebrugge terminal through the Zeepipe trunkline started up again Wednesday after a 3-week emergency shutdown that followed the discovery of a minor leak in the line.
Sales of gas will restart Thursday, pipeline operator Statoil AS reported.
The pipeline was shut-in on Apr. 14 when it was discovered that a valve controlling gas flow from Sleipner East field into the Zeepipe was leaking.
Statoil said the repairs took longer than expected because "it was difficult to install an isolation plug in the pipeline."
"It was only when the plug was in place that we could start to repair the valve," the company noted.
During the shutdown period, Statoil's gas clients have had the option to buy gas from alternative landing stations in Germany and France.
Zeepipe, on stream since 1993, is one of five pipelines that transport gas from the Norwegian Continental Shelf to the continent.