The aim of the unit is to maximize Diesel production by converting olefins from LPGs and Light Cracked Naphtha from the FCC into distillates while targeting Euro V specifications for Gasoline and Diesel pools.

This unit corresponds to the first reference of PolyFuel®, an innovative technology to tackle unbalanced gasoline/middle distillates slates while reaching tighter products specifications. The PolyFuel® technology is the result of more than 50 years of commercial experience in the field of olefins conversion into fuels. This experience is based on the Polynaphtha™ units licensed all over the world by Axens.

Axens will provide catalysts and adsorbents for the unit.

• Axens Awarded for a PolyFuel® Contract in Romania

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“This important investment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to refining,” said Lori Ryerkerk, Executive Vice President for Shell’s global Manufacturing business. “The Pernis refinery plays a key role in the European market and this modern and innovative unit will further improve its performance and competitiveness.”

Construction work is planned to start next year, subject to permit approvals, with completion expected by the end of 2018. The new unit will not change the refinery’s total processing capacity, but will allow a different product mix. Some existing units will require modifications in order to integrate with the new SDA unit.

Shell Pernis is the largest integrated refinery complex in Europe and occupies a strategic location in the Rotterdam industrial region. It has a strong track record of safe and reliable operations.

The SDA unit will give the refinery more flexibility to respond to market developments and reduce the environmental footprint of its products. The investment strengthens Shell Pernis’ position as an important contributor to the Dutch economy and as one of the largest employers in the Rotterdam port area.

• Shell takes final investment decision to build Solvent Deasphalter unit at Pernis refinery in the Netherlands

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Tony Durrant, Chief Executive, commented:

“We are pleased to have reached agreement to sell our Norwegian business to Det norske, one of our long term partners in Norway. Our team in Norway has done an excellent job in bringing the Vette project close to a sanction decision in a low oil price environment. The transaction will realise immediate value from the project as part of our strategy of active management of our portfolio.”

Notes to editors:

PONAS comprises the Premier-operated Vette development and adjacent Mackerel and Herring discoveries (50% interest), a non-operated interest in the Frøy field (50% interest) and seven exploration licences.

As at 30 June 2015 PONAS had net assets of $146.3 million (comprising gross assets of $189.9 million and liabilities of $43.6 million). For the year ended 31 December 2014 it generated an operating loss of $17.4 million.

Premier has been operating in Norway since 2005 and has realised value through previous disposals of the Grosbeak, Blåbaer and Luno II discoveries which have resulted in combined proceeds of $33.5 million.

• Sale Of Norwegian Business

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The refinery, operated by Esso Nederland BV, will use ExxonMobil’s proprietary hydrocracking technology and be the first to produce EHC Group II base stocks in Europe. Base stocks are the primary ingredients used in the production of high-quality lubricating oils and greases. Group II base stocks are higher in performance, resulting in advantages in many lubricant and process oil applications.

“This investment demonstrates ExxonMobil’s long-term view and disciplined investment approach,” said Jerry Wascom, president of ExxonMobil Refining & Supply Company. “Despite a challenging industry environment, we are committed to our long-term strategy of investing in projects in advantaged locations where we can continue to increase competitiveness and profitability.”

ExxonMobil’s Rotterdam refinery, one of the most energy efficient in Europe, plays a key role in the region and marketplace as a manufacturer of low-sulfur petroleum products and chemical feedstocks. Following the expansion, the hydrocracking process will use proprietary catalysts applied in a unique refinery process configuration to efficiently produce both high-quality base stocks and ultra-low sulfur diesel.

The base stocks that will be produced at Rotterdam are designed to help lubricant blenders achieve greater formulation flexibility and simplify global qualification testing. ExxonMobil’s EHC product line will enable customers to cost-effectively blend a broad range of finished lubricants to meet evolving industry requirements.

“This investment underscores our commitment to provide high-quality base stocks in Europe and follows previously announced expansions at ExxonMobil’s Baytown, Texas and Jurong Singapore refineries this past year,” said Loic Vivier, vice president of Wholesale & Specialties for ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants. “Combined with ExxonMobil’s existing manufacturing capabilities, this project will enable us to offer a global EHC Group II base stocks product offering to meet current and future customer needs.”

The Rotterdam hydrocracker project, coupled with the refinery’s advantageous location in an integrated petrochemical cluster, will strengthen the refinery’s position as a leader in the global refining industry.

The project’s environmental impact assessment has been approved and the site-permitting process is being finalized. Permits are expected in early 2016. Pending receipt of permits, construction is scheduled to begin in 2016 and unit startup is targeted for 2018.

About ExxonMobil Refining & Supply

ExxonMobil Refining & Supply and its stewarded affiliates operate a global network of reliable and efficient manufacturing plants, transportation systems and distribution centers that provide a range of fuels, lubricants and other high-value products and feedstocks to our customers around the world.

About ExxonMobil Basestocks

ExxonMobil is one of the world’s largest suppliers of base stocks and leading licensors of base stock technology and produces Group I, Group II/II+ and synthetic base stocks at strategically located refineries around the world. ExxonMobil’s base stocks are designed to provide enhanced performance capabilities in applications ranging from engine oils to industrial lubricants. ExxonMobil’s CORE Group I and EHCTM Group II slates meet more than 90 percent of the industry’s base stock needs and offer broader blend coverage and the potential to reduce supply chain complexity while meeting evolving industry requirements.

About ExxonMobil Rotterdam Refinery

ExxonMobil’s modern Rotterdam refinery has a daily throughput of 190,000 barrels and plays a key role in the region and marketplace as a manufacturer of low-sulfur petroleum products and feedstocks for the chemical industry. The refinery was built in the late 1950s and was the largest ever foreign investment at that time. A 1980s Flexicoker investment was the largest ever industrial investment in the Netherlands at that time.

About ExxonMobil in the Netherlands

ExxonMobil’s presence in the Netherlands dates back to 1891, making it the country’s oldest oil and gas company. ExxonMobil is also the oldest U.S. industrial company in the Netherlands. ExxonMobil now has several manufacturing sites in the Rotterdam area, including a refinery, a lubes plant and four petrochemical plants. Its Esso fuels are sold to branded wholesalers and resellers.

• ExxonMobil to Expand Rotterdam Hydrocracker to Produce Higher-Value Products

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Rosneft will retain a 12% interest in Saras S.p.A. and the corresponding membership in the Board of Directors of Saras S.p.A.

In connection with the Offering, Rosneft JV Projects S.A. has undertaken not to dispose of any additional shares in Saras S.p.A. for a period of 180 days following completion of the Offering, subject to customary exceptions.

UBS acted as a bookrunner of the accelerated bookbuilt offering.

Rosneft’s partnership with Italian companies is a strategic one and it covers all business dimensions of the Company: exploration and production, refining, logistics and commerce of oil products, marketing of petrochemicals. The Company highly appreciates potential of the European downstream market and actively cooperates with the Italian partners in the area of oil supplies.

• Rosneft agreed to sell 8.99% interest in Saras S.p.A.

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As with the first system, the purpose is to power two compressors that have been fitted to the platform’s topside to compensate for decreasing pressure in the reservoir. The 3,000 ton compressor modules were fitted last year and began operation in October 2015.

Electricity is delivered using ABB’s HVDC Light technology, which takes AC current from Norway’s national grid, converts it to DC and transmits it to the platform using a series of 70 km-long cables. When the electricity reaches Troll A, it is converted back to AC to run the compressors. ABB provided the onshore and offshore converter stations, laid two pairs of DC cables as well as a three-phase AC cable for other power requirements. It also provided the 50 megawatts (MW)/60 kilovolts (kV) high-voltage motors that will operate the compressors.

“This project is an important milestone for ABB as our products are enabling increased production and safeguarding the delivery of natural gas to the European market. And with power from shore, the recovery increase can be achieved in a sustainable and profitable way,” said Per Erik Holsten, Managing Director for ABB’s Oil, Gas and Chemicals business.

Onshore electricity has a number of advantages over offshore generation. Ninety-six per cent of Norway’s electricity comes from renewable sources, so Troll will be a low-carbon operation. A power from shore system has a higher level of efficiency and reliability, with fewer moving parts requiring service. Moving away from gas turbine generation offshore means more gas available for sale and frees up valuable space on the platform.

Since it first brought HVDC cables to the market in the 1950s, ABB has been responsible for about half the global installed base. In the oil and gas industry it has pioneered power from shore, and was recently awarded the contract for a 100 MW/80 kV connection to the Johan Sverdrup development, 150 km west of Stavanger.

The Troll field was discovered in 1979 and found to be commercially viable in 1983. The 472 meter high Troll A platform is the tallest structure ever to have been moved by mankind. Gas production started in 1996 and at that time the power needs of the platform were met by a 20 megawatt AC cable provided by ABB.

• ABB completes Troll A platform’s second power-from-shore system

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For the Donges project, Axens has proposed an optimized process scheme specifically adapted to the existing refinery environment, and incorporating Total’s requirements in terms of energy efficiency and operational flexibility.

VGO HDS technology is part of Axens’ extensive portfolio in the field of middle distillates, VGO hydrotreating and hydroconversion, with more than 220 units licensed in the world totalizing close to 10 million BPD capacity.

Axens supplies VGO HDS technology license, basic engineering, proprietary catalysts and equipment as well as related services: training, unit start-up and follow-up.

• Axens’ VGO HDS technology selected by Total for its Donges Refinery, France

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The sale would be the result of an intense and careful search for a suitable buyer by KPI, after a reevaluation of its strategy for the KP Europoort refinery. Among the most important criteria were continuing with the refinery operations and finding a financially solid, experienced, reliable buyer.

Gunvor is one of the world’s leading independent commodities trading companies. It has a proven track record of successfully taking over and operating refineries. Gunvor wholly owns two refineries; one in Antwerp, Belgium; and another in Ingolstadt, Germany, both acquired in 2012. The intended purchase of the KP Europoort refinery would enhance Gunvor’s existing refining operations, while also complementing its global trading activities.

• Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI) And Gunvor Group (Gunvor) Confirm The Final Stage Of Negotiations For The Sale Of The KP Europoort Refinery

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The Finnish gas market and its future outlook have changed substantially since 2008 when plans for the projects were initiated. The competitiveness of gas has deteriorated and gas consumption has decreased. In Southern Finland in the area covered by the gas pipeline network, investments of this scale would further weaken the competitiveness of gas. The extensive studies conducted indicate that the Finngulf and Balticconnector projects are not commercially viable. Therefore Gasum will give up the implementation of both projects.

Gasum is continuing the active development of the Nordic gas market. In Finland there is demand for LNG, particularly among users outside the gas network and in transport, with LNG providing a competitive alternative to oil-based fuels. The Gasum subsidiary Skangas is constructing an LNG terminal in Pori, Finland, and Skangas is also a co-owner of the LNG terminal under construction in Tornio, Finland. The Pori and Tornio terminal projects will serve the growing needs of the market outside the gas pipeline network in industry, shipping and heavy-duty road transport. Additionally, the market for the biogas, which is 100% Finnish and renewable, is growing strongly and Gasum desires to be a forerunner in developing the market.

”Gasum is investing constantly in the development of the Finnish gas infrastructure. Our key objectives are to ensure our customers’ access to clean and competitive fuels and at the same time develop the Finnish biogas market and Nordic LNG market,” says Gasum CEO Johanna Lamminen.

• Finngulf terminal and Balticconnector pipeline not commercially viable

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“Troll oil is the impossible made possible. Only a few believed in extracting the thin oil zone at Troll, and through a burning desire to make it happen, determination and innovation, Troll oil became reality,” says Øivind Dahl-Stamnes, head of Troll production.

Determination and innovation in reservoir technology, drilling, well and seabed technology and professional and systematic operations have taken Troll Oil to where it is today: Norway's biggest oil producer the last three years.

“Troll oil is a story that summarises the best our operations and the opportunities on the Norwegian continental shelf,” Dahl-Stamnes continues.

A well technology puzzle

The Troll oil and gas adventure started with the awarding of the fourth licensing round in 1979. On 17 July 1979, Borgny Dolphin started exploration drilling, and four months later Troll was a fact.
A thin oil-bearing layer stretches across the entire field, but is only viable in two provinces in Troll west. The oil is produced using 15 seabed frames with a total of 121 well slots linked to the floating production platforms Troll B and Troll C.

The greatest challenge when planning the field was to develop technology to extract the thin oil zones without the wells producing too much gas. Technology was challenged and resolved, and in many ways Troll has been groundbreaking in drilling and well technology.

All of the production wells at Troll oil are horizontal wells. This means drilling in two stages, initially down to the reservoir which is 1,600 metres below the seabed, and then up to 5,500 metres horizontally into the reservoir. Most of the wells are so-called branch wells, which mean that they have two or three horizontal sections that are gathered at a crossroad in the reservoir.

Huge wealth

To date 200 wells have been drilled around Troll B and C, which combined have produced 1.56 billion barrels of oil. Troll oil has been Norway's largest oil producer for the past three years. We still have great ambitions for production, and are stretching for 2.1 billion barrel mark in the field's lifetime. The current recovery rate for oil is 40%, with a goal to reach 52%. The Troll oil adventure alone has generated an estimated NOK 460 billion in income, with investments so far of around NOK 100 billion.

The oil is transported to Mongstad, from Troll B through the Troll Oil Pipeline I (completed 1995; 16" diameter, 85 km length, transport capacity 42,500 m3/day), and from Troll C through the Troll Pipeline II (completed 1999; 20" diameter, 80 km length, transport capacity 40,000 m3/day). Associated gas goes to Troll A.

• Troll oil for 20 years

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The value of the contract, to be delivered over the next 15 months, has not been announced.

Amec Foster Wheeler’s scope includes detailed engineering of the boil-off gas recovery system and associated facilities as well as the inter-connection with the new LNG storage tank and the existing plant facilities.

Amec Foster Wheeler’s Group President for Asia, Middle East, Africa & Southern Europe, Roberto Penno, said: “We are a leading engineering provider in Europe and look forward to applying our significant technical expertise on this strategically important project for Belgium.”

Zeebrugge LNG Terminal is owned and operated by Fluxys LNG from Belgium. The appointed engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor is a joint venture comprising Duro Felguera Oil & Gas, Felguera IHI and Balzola. The overall EPC expansion will consist of the design, construction and start-up of a boil-off gas recovery system and fifth LNG storage tank of the plant, which will be one of the largest in the world with a capacity of 180,000 Nm3.

• Amec Foster Wheeler awarded engineering contract for Zeebrugge LNG terminal expansion

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A frame agreement for add-on systems and a frame agreement for subsea service offerings have also been signed.

Statoil's Johan Sverdrup field will be the largest offshore oil find in Norway in 30 years, and it is estimated to hold 1.7 billion to 3.0 billion barrels of oil equivalents. The field is expected to produce 550,000 - 650,000 barrels of oil equivalents a day when fully developed, equal to about 25 percent of current domestic output. Production is slated to start in late 2019.

"FMC Technologies' long history of working with Statoil and proven track record for delivering leading-edge technologies made us a strong candidate for this award," said Tore Halvorsen, Senior Vice President, Subsea Technologies. "We are excited to play a large role in what will most certainly be one of the most important developments in the region for generations to come."

• FMC Technologies Awarded Phase 1 for Statoil's Johan Sverdrup

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The £36 million contract was awarded under Amec Foster Wheeler’s global agreement with BP to provide engineering and project management services for BP's offshore developments around the world. 90 Amec Foster Wheeler people, including eight graduates, are working on the contract.

The additional living quarters will comprise 16 modules, creating space for an additional 26 beds. The modules will sit on a grillage support with sliding connectors, which are usually found on bridges and onshore refineries. The sliding connectors allow enough movement to accommodate for the flex and stress from the weight of the new structures, increasing efficiency by removing the need to drill through the deck and weld to deck support beams.

Alan Johnstone, Amec Foster Wheeler’s Managing Director for Upstream Asset Solutions, said: “We are delighted to be supporting BP’s rejuvenation of ETAP as they continue to invest in the North Sea. We’ve been working with BP for more than 35 years, delivering safe and efficient solutions and this contract award is another example of Amec Foster Wheeler combining our leading brownfield and EPC expertise and bringing new ways of working into the oil and gas industry.”

• Amec Foster Wheeler awarded new BP contract for Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP) Additional Living Quarters

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The contract is an EPCI contract covering engineering, procurement, fabrication, installation and testing of two high-voltage power cables and a fibre-optic communication cable to the Johan Sverdrup field centre from shore.

The high-voltage cables are 200 kilometres long and designed for a supply capacity of 100 MW/80 kV. This will cover the power need for the first phase of the Johan Sverdrup field development, which is scheduled for start-up late in 2019.

The contract also covers options for delivering high-voltage cables from shore to the Johan Sverdrup field to meet the power requirement of a full development of the Johan Sverdrup field as well as the Edvard Grieg, Ivar Aasen and Gina Krog fields on the Utsira High.

The total contract value is NOK 700 million, plus options.

Fabricated at ABB AB’s plant in Karlskrona, the high-voltage cables will be laid from Haugsneset in Tysvær municipality north of Stavanger to the Johan Sverdrup field centre on the Utsira High. The power cables will be pulled up to the riser platform at the Johan Sverdrup field centre.

The cables will be buried into the seabed or covered by rocks, as required.

This contract is one of the three major contracts covering the land-based power supply project. The first contract has already been awarded to ABB in Norway for delivery of high-voltage direct current transformer equipment to the riser platform at Johan Sverdrup and at Haugsneset.

The last contract covers all construction work related to the alternating current cable to be laid from Kårstø to Haugsneset and the entire onshore converter station. The contract for the onshore construction work is being evaluated and is expected to be awarded this autumn.

The Johan Sverdrup oil field will be operated by land-based power from production start in late 2019.

The first phase of the Johan Sverdrup field development will also include all the preparations needed for land-based power supply for a full Johan Sverdrup development as well as other fields on the Utsira High by 2022.

The Johan Sverdrup field partners: Statoil 40.0267% (operator), Lundin Norway 22.6%, Petoro 17.36%, Det norske oljeselskap 11.5733% and Maersk Oil 8.44%.

• Contract award for Johan Sverdrup power cables

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Part of the gas export solution from the Johan Sverdrup field, the assignment will take about two years to complete. Work starts immediately.

“We’re pleased to award the contract to IKM Ocean Design,” says Svein Birger Thaule, executive vice president for asset management at Gassco.

“We believe this supplier will help us put in place a good and safe gas export solution for the field. The project will moreover be extremely important in ensuring gas deliveries for our Kårstø processing plant.”

Johan Sverdrup lies in the Norwegian North Sea, about 40 kilometres south of Grane, 65 kilometres north of Sleipner and 140 kilometres west of Stavanger.

Its gas will be exported to Kårstø via a new 18-inch pipeline, tied into the Statpipe rich-gas leg from Statfjord with the aid of hot tapping and connection to a 30-inch retrofit tee.

Installation will be diverless, using hot tapping equipment from the pipeline repair system (PRS) base in Haugesund.

Johan Sverdrup is one of the five largest oil fields on the Norwegian continental shelf. With estimated resources of 1.7 to three billion barrels, it will rank as one of Norway’s most important industrial projects over the next half-century.

The field is due to come on stream in December 2019, and to continue producing for 50 years.

Gassco will serve as the operator and technical manager of the 156-kilometre pipeline from the riser platform on Johan Sverdrup to the Statpipe rich-gas leg once the field comes on stream. Statoil is the development operator.

• Hot-tap contract on Johan Sverdrup to IKM Ocean Design

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The contract is an execution of the letter of intent signed by Statoil and Kværner for delivery of two jackets for Johan Sverdrup.

“We are well pleased with getting Kværner on board on yet another complex steel jacket delivery for Johan Sverdrup.

An important part of the original letter of intent between Statoil and Kværner for delivery of steel jackets implied that the partners were to cooperate on realising further improvements through standardisation and simplification.

This contract proves that the cooperation has been successful, and together we have improved competitiveness and maximised value creation from Johan Sverdrup,” says Kjetel Digre, senior vice president for the Johan Sverdrup development project.

Weighing 22,500 tonnes, the drilling platform jacket will be the second largest of the jackets to be constructed during the first phase of the Johan Sverdrup project. This jacket will be delivered and installed on the Johan Sverdrup field in the spring of 2018.

”The Johan Sverdrup project activity will rise considerably in the time ahead as we take new steps in the development. We are cooperating closely with the suppliers in the engineering of the platforms for the project. So far, we have awarded several main contracts and equipment packages at a value of more than NOK 43 billion,” Digre says.

“More contracts will be awarded this autumn. We have already started on the first jacket for the riser platform at Kværner Verdal. So far, we are on track on the Johan Sverdrup development,” says Digre.

The investment costs in the first phase of the Johan Sverdrup development are estimated at around NOK 117 billion (2015 value), with expected recoverable resources in the range of 1.4 - 2.4 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

The first phase of the Johan Sverdrup field development will consist of four installations, including a utility and living quarters platform, a processing platform, a drilling platform and a riser platform, as well as three subsea water injection templates. The platforms will be interlinked by gangways.

The ambition is a recovery rate of 70% for Johan Sverdrup.

• Contract for Johan Sverdrup drilling platform jacket

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This FSO will be deployed at the Culzean field approximately 145 mile (233 kilometers) off the coast of Aberdeen in water depth of around 295 feet (90 meters). The Culzean field is operated by Maersk Oil UK with co‐venturers JX Nippon Exploration & Production (UK) Limited and BP.
MODEC is responsible for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the FSO. SOFEC, Inc., a subsidiary of MODEC, will design and supply the Internal Turret mooring system. The FSO will have receiving capacity of 25,000 barrels of condensate per day and storage capacity of 350,000 barrels. The complete unit will be delivered to Maersk Oil UK in the first half of 2018.

"We are very honored to be awarded the contract for supply of the FSO by Maersk Oil,” said Toshiro Miyazaki, President and CEO of MODEC. “This new contract represents a significant milestone for MODEC in gaining entry into the important North Sea oil and gas industry.”

• MODEC Awarded Contract to Provide FSO for Maersk Oil’s Culzean Field; A Significant Milestone for MODEC in Gaining Entry into North Sea

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Culzean is a high pressure, high temperature ("HPHT") gas condensate field located in the Block 22/25a in the UK Central North Sea. Discovered in 2008 by Maersk Oil and its co-venturers, including JX Nippon, it has resources estimated at 250-300 million barrels of oil equivalent. It is both the largest field discovered in the UK North Sea in the last decade and is the largest gas field sanctioned since 1990*.

Production is expected to start in 2019 and continue for at least 13 years, with plateau production of 60,000-90,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. At peak production, anticipated in 2020/21, the field is expected to produce gas equivalent to 5% of total UK demand.

The Culzean development has benefited from the recent introduction by the UK Government of the HPHT Cluster Area Allowance. The allowance supports the development of HPHT projects, which typically have high capital costs. The Allowance also encourages exploration and appraisal activity in the surrounding area or ‘cluster’.

The Culzean Field is the latest major JX Nippon investment and, along with the Mariner Field in the UK, will contribute significantly to JX Nippon’s corporate mid to long term global production.

• Field Development Plan approved for Culzean in UK North Sea

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In addition the associated plans for installation and operation (PIO) for transportation pipelines and power supply from shore were approved.

“We are delighted that the development plan for the Statoil-operated Johan Sverdrup field has been approved. The field is of great importance, and will generate substantial spin-offs and value for partners and society for more than 50 years. Focused efforts are now underway in the partnership to ensure that the opportunities and enormous values in the Johan Sverdrup field are captured,” says Arne Sigve Nylund, executive vice president for Development and Production Norway.

“We are on schedule in the Johan Sverdrup development. The project activities will now be stepped up, and more contracts will be awarded in the autumn. Last week the first piece of the Johan Sverdrup development, the pre-drilling template, was installed on the field in the North Sea. In addition the construction of the first jacket has started at Kværner Verdal. Contracts worth more than NOK 40 billion have been awarded so far in the development, 75 percent of which have been landed by suppliers with Norwegian invoice addresses,” says Øivind Reinertsen, senior vice president for Johan Sverdrup.

The Johan Sverdrup oil field will be developed in several phases. Phase one consists of four bridge-linked platforms, in addition to three subsea water injection templates.

The ambition is a recovery rate of 70%, allowing for advanced technology for increased oil recovery (IOR) in future phases. The phase one development has a production capacity in the range of 315,000-380,000 barrels per day. First oil is planned for late 2019.

The Johan Sverdrup partnership consists of Statoil, Lundin Norway, Petoro, Det norske oljeselskap and Maersk Oil.

• Johan Sverdrup development approved

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The 482-kilometre long and 36-inch wide pipeline will run from Nyhamna in western Norway to the Aasta Hansteen field in the Norwegian Sea. The world’s largest pipelaying vessel, Solitaire from Allseas, is carrying out the job and is advancing slowly, exactly 24.4 metres at a time, every sixth minute or so, around the clock.

Good progress

During the start-up in March the pipeline was pulled in to Nyhamna. During September the vessel will arrive at the Aasta Hansteen field, if weather permits. Even early in the autumn high waves and strong wind leading to interruptions must be expected. The weather has been good for a long period now:

«We are progressing well at the moment, conditions have been good for more than 50 days in a row, and at the end of July we set a record of laying 4.8 kilometres of pipes in one day,” says Kenneth Aksel Kristensen, one of Statoil’s company representatives on board the vessel.

Being from northern Norway he is particularly proud of helping lay the very first pipeline across the Arctic Circle. Polarled will also be the deepest pipeline on the Norwegian continental shelf – by the Aasta Hansteen field the water depth is 1260 metres. Furthermore, it will be the first time a 36-inch wide pipe is laid in such deep waters anywhere in the world.

Shuttle traffic

The vessel is a huge, well-oiled pipelaying machine which needs constant supply of pipes. Every pipe is 12.2 metres long and the vessel is laying around four kilometres of pipes a day. This means that it needs a supply of more than 300 pipes a day, filling two to three boats every day.

Two cranes are working hard like busy ants as they are lifting hundreds of pipes on board the vessel. One by one the 12-15-tonne heavy pipes are lifted on board – and when one boat is empty it only takes a few hours before the next boat arrives with more pipes. There are six boats in shuttle traffic transporting pipes.

«The pipes arrive from Wasco in the city of Mo i Rana, where they are coated. This means that they have been given a concrete layer to protect them from trawling and make them heavier,” explains Kristensen.

Assembly line

When a pipe is lifted on board the Solitaire it enters a huge assembly line. The pipe is sent from station to station through the factory of the 397-metre long and 41-metre wide vessel, where specialised operators perform their tasks. They are welding, checking, welding some more and checking some more before the welded joints are protected and the pipe becomes part of the long tail behind the Solitaire.

The pipeline is not laid in a straight line:
“We have examined the seabed thoroughly in advance to find the best route and also to avoid corals and large rocks,” says Arne Fosse, Statoil’s head of the Polarled construction work.

Saving money

In his office in Stavanger project manager Alfred Øijord has reason to smile. After some periods of bad weather right after the pull-in to Nyhamna in March, the project is progressing well – also financially.

«We are currently expecting to deliver way below budget,» he says. “The original investment budget for the pipeline project was NOK 11.1 billion. We are now expecting an investment level of around NOK 7.5 billion, due to good planning, good market knowledge and good execution. We have also had favourable market conditions with regard to capacity and price.”

Building for the future

At start-up the gas from Aasta Hansteen will be the only gas passing through Polarled, but the pipeline has a diameter of 36 inches and capacity for more gas:

“We have therefore installed six connection points, call it future slip roads to the new gas highway,” says Håkon Ivarjord, Statoil’s project venture manager for the Polarled development project. “Polarled will open up for gas export to Europe from a completely new gas province, and with the infrastructure in place it will also be more attractive to explore the surrounding area.”

24-hour operation

The Solitaire crew is working around the clock. It takes around 90 minutes from a pipe is lifted on board and enters production until it has become part of the ever-extending Polarled pipeline. There are 410 people on board the vessel, including two asset owner representatives from Statoil and eight people from DNV GL – who are also part of the day and night operation.

In a control room aft Max Misund is busy studying his computer screen – around every sixth minute he receives the result of the automatic ultrasound inspection made inside the vessel. Also this weld is approved.

The welding quality is good, he says:
“We have now checked more than 14,000 welds and the repair rate is 0.6%. That is an excellent result!»

The pipelaying work had to wait on weather for a couple of days, and gave the crew a welcome break.

“Laying several hundred kilometres almost without weather interruptions is very unusual. It is good to have a break to perform necessary maintenance on the pipelaying equipment, and not least to give the crew a welcome break before completing the pipelaying in 1260 metres of water,” concludes Arne Fosse.

This autumn the new highway for gas from the Norwegian Sea will be ready for use – on time and well below budget.

• Polarled – the first pipeline crossing the Arctic Circle

by abarrelfull