Saipem will lay a total of 185 kilometres of pipeline for the transport of oil and gas from the Gjøa and Vega fields.
The 28 inch gas pipeline will be around 130 kilometres long, running from Gjøa to the UK Flags trunkline, which carries gas onwards to St Fergus in Scotland.
A 16 inch oil pipeline runs from Gjøa to the Troll II pipeline and will be 55 kilometres long.
Stabilised oil will be piped to the Troll II pipeline and onwards to the StatoilHydro-operated Mongstad refinery north of Bergen.
Saipem plans to mobilise the Castoro Sei pipe-laying vessel in April 2009 to lay the pipeline from Gjøa. With an average speed of around four kilometres per day, the work is set to take around two months.
The Gjøa field will be developed with a floating production platform. It will be tied back to the StatoilHydro-operated Vega and Vega South fields.
Gaz de France will take over as production operator with a 30% interest when the field is brought on stream. Other licensees are Petoro with 30%, StatoilHydro (20%), Shell (12%) and RWE Dea with 8%.
Proven in 1989, Gjøa lies in blocks 35/9 and 36/7. Reserves are gauged at 82 million barrels of oil and condensate and 40 billion cubic metres of gas. Total investments in the Gjøa development are estimated at NOK 27 billion in current money.