After four years as project director for Ormen Lange, Thor A. Tangen, is now making a smooth New Year landing. He is looking forward to a less hectic working life following the major technological leap he embarked on back when the Ekofisk field was being developed.
The Ekofisk development marked the beginning of Thor A. Tangen’s association with the oil industry. As a chartered engineer working for Veritas, his job was to check and see whether the development satisfied quality requirements.
He subsequently became a central Hydro project manager, and also worked briefly for Statoil as assistant project manager for the Gullfaks A platform. His Hydro projects include the Oseberg B platform, Njord, the Troll C platform and Grane.
Major progress
Technology has made some gigantic leaps during the period when the former Norwegian national long jumper has worked in the oil industry. Developments have progressed, step by step, from large, fixed Condeep concrete platforms via floating installations to purely subsea developments, such as the one devised for Ormen Lange.
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"Projects such as the Troll C platform, TOGI and Troll Pilot have been of major importance, enabling us to advance and concentrate on purely subsea developments. I believe we will see many developments such as Ormen Lange and Snøhvit in future, where the field’s processing units are quite remote – either on land or on offshore installations," says Tangen.
Major progress has also taken place during Tangen’s time as project director for Ormen Lange:
"Just one and a half years ago major international players said it would be impossible to undertake a technically and economically justified development of the Ormen Lange field. We have now solved a number of technological problems in a way that has the backing of the entire partnership, while at the same time ensuring that our requirements to profitability and to health, environment and safety are satisfied," says Tangen.
Career peak
When the plan for development and operation of the Ormen Lange field, and the plan for construction and operation of the land-based unit and export pipeline, were submitted on 4 December, it marked the peak of Tangen’s career.
"I am proud of what we have accomplished on the project and am impressed by the project team. This organization possesses the sort of determination and expertise that produces results. I don’t know of any organization that has demonstrated its ability over so many years to achieve the near impossible. It is a privilege to be a part of such a competent system," he says.
Thorough preliminary work
Previous head og Hydro Technology and Projects, Tom Røtjer, heads the team that will now see the project trough.
"We have a good starting point for a successful implementation on the basis of the thorough preliminary work that has been done up to the submission of the development plans at the beginning of December," says the new project leader Tom Røtjer, who will now be in charge of bringing the first gas to british end-user on 1 October 2007.
"So far we have created expectations and a firm starting point for the development. But now we have to realize the project in full; the train has left the station," Røtjer concludes.
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