The section of Statoil's Europipe II gas trunkline being laid in northern Germany is on schedule.
Arne Kåre Nedland, manager for this sub-project, is very satisfied with economics and quality as well as progress.
"We're keeping to the budget of almost NOK 1 billion, while the quality of prefabricated equipment and work done is good," he says.
"All the signs are that we'll be finished well before the line starts being filled with gas from Kårstø north of Stavanger during the summer.
"Close supervision by management and simple technical solutions have been the keys to a successful development."
The sub-project covers upgrading of capacity at the receiving station in Dornum on the German coast from 38 to 50 million standard cubic metres per day.
In addition comes the construction of a new receiving facility with a daily capacity of 65 million cubic metres, and laying a five-kilometre pipeline from the landfall at Dornumersiel to Dornum.
Europipe II is due to be in operation on 1 October. Once it has come on line, Dornum will receive gas via both Kårstø and the Draupner E riser platform in the North Sea through the existing Europipe I line.
Gas from Dornum is currently delivered through a land line about 60 kilometres long which runs to Emden, where fiscal metering takes place before delivery to customers.
Europipe II's facilities will be tied to the new section of Germany's Netra gas pipeline which is under construction between Dornum and the gas storage facility at Etzel.
The receiving stations will be operated in parallel and with today's staffing. They have been given a very high degree of flexibility.
"With both facilities in operation, we can mix gas from Draupner E and Kårstø in order to achieve optimal quality," explains Mr Nedland.
"At the same time, we'll be able to safeguard delivery regularity to both Emden and the Netra line."