Den norske stats oljeselskap AS has awarded major contracts for steel pipe in preparation for an intensive offshore gas pipelaying program in the first half of the 1990s.
It placed a firm order for 400,000 tons for the 372 mile, 40 in, Europipe system from a riser platform on the Statpipe network to Emden in northern Germany.
The pipe, worth 2.1 billion kroner ($342 million), will be delivered in 1992 and 1993.
Statoil has options for another 450,000 tons for three more projects scheduled to get under way in the 1990s. Exercising the options would boost total order value to 4.7 billion kroner ($766 million).
The additional projects are the second phase of the Zeepipe system, which will join the Troll gas pipeline's onshore terminal at Kollsnes to Zeepipe Phase I, Statpipe, and Europipe, probably through a 117 mile link to the Heimdal terminal of Statpipe and a 188 mile section to Sleipner for access to Europipe and Zeepipe.
Included is steel for the twin, 40 mile, 36 in. lines to link Troll to the onshore terminal at Kollsnes.
The final pipeline system covered by the steel orders is a 152 mile, 20 in. line that will link Heidrun field on Haltenbanken to an onshore terminal at Tjeldbergodden in mid-Norway. Statoil has named this line Haltenpipe.
The contracts have been awarded to Mitsui/Sumitomo of Japan and Mannesmann Handel AG of Germany representing Europipe GmbH, which is owned by GTS Industries and Usinor Sacilor of France and Mannesmann Rohrenwerke of Germany. The European group will supply about 60% of the pipe.
Copyright 1992 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.