Work will start just after Easter on the Ormen Lange site at Nyhamna, following the Storting's approval of the project development plans on Friday. " We are very pleased that the plans have been approved. We are now embarking on this industrial adventure on land and at sea," says Hydro senior vice president Bengt Lie Hansen.
The Storting's decision means that the Ormen Lange development partnership is able to maintain the schedule which slated construction start-up for April.
"After five years of detailed preparations, we have achieved all our milestones and are looking forward to starting work," says Lie Hansen, who chairs the partnership's steering committee.
Historic
Ormen Lange project director, Hydro's Tom Røtjer, calls the development a significant milestone in the Norwegian gas industry's history. Ormen Lange will be the second biggest gas field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf - only Troll is bigger. Røtjer is looking forward to working together with the local community during the gas plant development.
" The Storting's approval of the development plans marks the start of a new industrial adventure in Møre og Romsdal. We are embarking upon this assignment with deep respect for the local community. We intend to meet the challenges with determination and openness together with the local community. We are looking forward to a close and fruitful cooperation," he says.
Ripple effect on employement
The development - the biggest single project in Norway - will have a considerable effect on regional employment in Mid-Norway.
At most there will be up to 2,500 people involved in the development of the processing plant. This is twice the population of Gossen, in the municipality of Aukra.
The construction work will mean great changes for the local community around Nyhamna. During the preliminary site preparation phase the area will be cordoned off. Noise disturbance, from traffic and construction activity, will be considerable. But Røtjer pledges to take every precaution during the development:
" In planning the plant we have placed great emphasis on health, safety and environmental considerations. The intention is to carry out construction and operation in as careful a way as possible. Our actions will demonstrate that we take responsibilty for people's safety and well-being, as well as for the environment," he says.
See also:
| News about Ormen Lange |
| Partners in the Ormen Lange license group: | |
| Hydro (operator for the development phase) | 18.0728 % |
| Shell (operator for the operational phase) | 17.0375 % |
| Petoro | 36.4750 % |
| Statoil | 10.8441 % |
| BP | 10.3420 % |
| ExxonMobil | 7.2286 % |
| Facts about Ormen Lange Location: 100 kilometres northwest of the Møre coastline in Mid-Norway, where 24 wells will be developed on the field. Processing plant: The processing of gas and condensate from Ormen Lange will take place at Nyhamna, in the municipality of Aukra. The wellstream will be transported from the field in two seabed pipelines to the plant 120 kilometres away. Production start-up: October 2007 Reservoir: The reservoir covers an area about 40 kilometres long and up to 10 kilometres wide, approx. 2,800 metres below the surface of the ocean. Ocean depth: 800 to 1,100 metres. Gas exports: At peak, Ormen Lange will export approx. 20 billion cubic metres of gas annually to the UK and the Continent. The gas will be piped via Langeled the approx. 1,200 kilometres from Nyhamna to Easington in the UK. The pipeline is routed via the Sleipner node in the North Sea, facilitating gas export to the Continent. Total investments: NOK 66 billion (at 2003 exchange rates) for field development and pipeline transportation. |