Laying of an inshore section of Statoil's Europipe II gas trunkline began north of Stavanger today.
The Solitaire laybarge will install the length of line across the Falkeidflæet fjord between the Kårstø gas complex operated by Statoil and the island of Austre Bokn.
Laying is due to start at Kårstø and move towards the middle of the fjord. Solitaire will then be redeployed to Austre Bokn and lay back towards the centre, with work due to be completed before Christmas.
The two sections of line are scheduled to be tied in during the spring with the aid of a diving support ship. Pipe is being laid in a trench excavated by the Queen of the Netherlands dredger earlier this autumn.
Solitaire has earlier laid 33 kilometres of line west of the island of Kvitsøy. Once the Falkeidflæet section is completed, the laybarge will retrieve the pipe end off Kvitsøy and continue laying southwards down the North Sea.