Laying of Statoil's Åsgard Transport gas trunkline is on schedule, with the submarine section due to be completed in late July/early August.
"At the moment, we look set to meet that deadline," says Lars Olaf Eide, project manager for the trunkline. "The LB 200 lay barge is actually ahead of schedule."
This Panamanian-registered vessel is currently working in the Norwegian Sea due north of Kristiansund in mid-Norway. With the aid of 12 25-tonne anchors, its crew of 350-400 from 20 nations are laying up to four kilometres of line per day.
Åsgard Transport will carry gas from Statoil's Åsgard development to its gas treatment complex at Kårstø north of Stavanger.
Eight T-junctions, with and without valves, will be incorporated in the completed submarine line, with gas from Statoil's Norne and Heidrun fields in the Norwegian Sea scheduled to share one of these.
Another is available for Shell's Draugen platform, while others are ready to take gas from Kristin, Lavrans and other fields in the same area if the decision is taken to develop them.