{{Short description|Undersea oil and natural gas pipelines system in the North Sea}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}} {{Use British English|date=December 2016}} {{Infobox pipeline | name = Norpipe oil pipeline | type = oil | map = | map_caption = Location of Norpipe oil pipeline | country = Norway, United Kingdom | coordinates = | photo = | caption = | operator = ConocoPhillips | partners = ConocoPhillips, Total S.A., Equinor, Eni, SDFI | length_km = 354 | discharge = | diameter_in = 34 | direction = east–west | start = Ekofisk oil field | finish = Teesside | est = 1975 | through = North Sea | par = }}{{Infobox pipeline | name = Norpipe natural gas pipeline | type = natural gas | map = | country = Norway, Germany | coordinates = | photo = | caption = | operator = Gassco | owner = Gassled | partners = Equinor, Petoro, ConocoPhillips, Eni, ExxonMobil, Norsea Gas, Royal Dutch Shell, Total, DONG Energy | technical_service_provider = ConocoPhillips | length_km = 440 | diameter_in = 36 | discharge = 16 billion cubic meters per year | direction = north–south | start = Ekofisk oil field | finish = Emden | est = 1977 | through = North Sea | par = }}
'''Norpipe''' is a subsea oil and natural gas pipelines system in the North Sea. It supplies oil from the Norwegian Ekofisk and associated fields in the North Sea to the United Kingdom and natural gas to Germany.
==Oil pipeline== The Norpipe oil pipeline starts at the Ekofisk 2/4-J facility.<ref name=rigzone> {{cite news | publisher = Rigzone | url= https://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=64518 | title = ConocoPhillips Gets Go Ahead to Use Norpipe Oil Pipeline Until 2028 | date = 2008-07-22 | accessdate=2009-11-10}} </ref> In addition to Ekofisk (Cod, Ekofisk, West Ekofisk, Tor, Albuskjell, Eldfisk, Edda, and Embla fields) the pipeline carries oil from Valhall, Hod, Gyda, Ula, Tambar, and Oselvar fields in the Norwegian zone, and from several of the UK's oil fields, such as Fulmar and Judy (see table). A tie-in point for UK fields is located about {{convert|50|km}} from Ekofisk. It has a landfall at Teesside Refinery in England.<ref name=statoil/>
The length of pipeline is {{convert|354|km}} and it has diameter of {{convert|34|in|mm}}. The pipeline is owned by Norpipe Oil AS, a consortium which includes ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS (35.05%), TotalFinaElf Exploration Norge AS (34.93%), Statoil (18.5%), Eni Norge AS (6.52%), and SDFI (5%). It is operated by ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS.<ref name=statoil>{{cite web | publisher = Statoil | url = http://www.statoil.com/en/OurOperations/pipelines/Downloads/Pipeline-Facts.pdf | title = Pipeline Facts | accessdate = 2010-10-09 | archive-date = 4 March 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110304184011/http://www.statoil.com/en/OurOperations/pipelines/Downloads/Pipeline-Facts.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref> The pipeline was commissioned in 1975.<ref name=directory> {{cite web | publisher = Subsea Oil & Gas Directory | url= http://www.subsea.org/pipelines/listdetails.asp?PipelineID=5 | title = Norpipe Oil Pipeline | accessdate=2009-11-10}} </ref> The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway has granted consent to use the pipeline until 2028.<ref name=rigzone/> The Norpipe oil pipeline originally had two intermediate booster pump installations in the UK sector designated 37/4A and 36/22A, these were seldom used and were subsequently bypassed. The booster platforms were removed in 2009/10 as part of the greater Ekofisk decommissioning.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Heerema|date=|title=Ekofisk|url=https://hmc.heerema.com/projects/ekofisk/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 September 2020|website=Heerema}}</ref>
=== Booster pumping stations === The specification of the booster station was as follows.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=24 October 2016|title=Norpipe 36/22 A|url=https://ekofisk.industriminne.no/en/norpipe-36-22-a/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=3 October 2020|website=ekofisk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=24 November 2016|title=Norpipe 37/4 A|url=https://ekofisk.industriminne.no/en/norpipe-37-4-a/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=3 October 2020|website=ekofisk}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |+Norpipe booster stations !Designation !Norpipe 37/4A !Norpipe 36/22A |- |Distance from Ekofisk 2/4 J |123 km |235 km |- |Distance from Teesside |231 km |119 km |- |Water depth |85 m |81 m |- |Fabricated |McDermott, Ardersier |UIE Cherbourg and St Wandrille |- |Total weight | |9,750 tonnes |- |Installed |1974 |1974 |- |Operational |14 October 1975 |1975 |- |Drive |3 × GE (MS-3002J) 2-Stage axial gas turbines 11,800 / 14,400 hp |3 × GE (MS-3002J) 2-Stage axial gas turbines 11,800 / 14,400 hp |- |Fuel |Diesel or crude oil |Diesel or crude oil |- |Pump |3 × Bingham 1-stage centrifugal pumps |3 × Bingham 1-stage centrifugal pumps |- |Generators |3 × Bergen 640kVA diesel sets |3 × Bergen 640kVA diesel sets |- |Pigging equipment |Yes |Yes |- |Accommodation |2 storey, 24 beds 2 × double, 5 × four bed cabins |3 storey, 31 beds 1 × single, 9 × double, 3 × four bed |- |Crew |10 | |- |Firewater pumps |Yes |Yes |- |Helideck |Super Puma |Super Puma |- |Utilities |Telemetry, lube oil, chemicals, instrument and plant air, steam, potable water, cranes and lifting equipment |2 × B-E MK 60 Cranes |- |Shutdown |November 1981 |1977 |- |Occupation ceased |1983 |1983 |- |Pipeline bypass |1994 |1994 |- |Topsides removed |2009 |2009 |- |Jacket removed |2010 |2010 |}
=== UK fields and Norpipe === The following fields and installations export oil into the Norpipe pipeline.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Judy Joanne|url=https://www.chrysaor.com/operations/ICOP/judy|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2 October 2020|website=chrysaor}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Fulmar|url=https://www.repsolsinopecuk.com/files/ICOP_Fulmar_2017.pdf|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2 October 2020|website=repsol}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |+Fields exporting to Norpipe !Field !Installation !Production to !Length !Diameter, inches !Year commissioned |- |Ekofisk |Platform 2/4 J |Teesside terminal |354 km |34 |1975 |- |Judy |Platform |Norpipe UK Tee via Northern Wye and Southern Wye | |24 |1997 |- |Joanne |Subsea |Judy |5.5 km |2 x 12-inch |2002 |- |Jasmine |Platform |Judy |6 miles |16 |2013 |- |Jade |Platform |Judy |17.3 km |16 |2002 |- |Stella |Semi-submersible FPF-1 |Southern Wye / Tanker |44 km |10 |2016 |- |Harrier |Subsea |Stella FPF-1 |7 km | |2018 |- |Fulmar |Platform |Southern Wye |15.5 km |24 |1997 Fulmar had formerly used offshore tanker loading |- |Auk |Platform |Fulmar |12 km |8 |1975 |- |Auk North |Subsea |Fulmar |10.7 km |8 |2011 |- |Gannet |Platform |Fulmar |107 km |16 |1992 |- |Clyde |Platform |Fulmar |11 km |16 |1986 |- |Orion |Subsea |Clyde |16.3 km |10 |1999 |- |Flyndre |Subsea |Clyde |20 km |8 |2017 |}
=== Throughput === The annual oil production from 1998 (in 1000 tonnes) was:<ref name=":0">Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) Annex F.1 Crude oil</ref><graph>{ "version": 2, "width": 800, "height": 200, "data": [ { "name": "table", "values": [ { "x": 1998, "y": 7619 }, { "x": 1999, "y": 7319 }, { "x": 2000, "y": 6857 }, { "x": 2001, "y": 5870 }, { "x": 2002, "y": 5989 }, { "x": 2003, "y": 5984 }, { "x": 2004, "y": 5077 }, { "x": 2005, "y": 4600 }, { "x": 2006, "y": 5076 }, { "x": 2007, "y": 3941 }, { "x": 2008, "y": 3729 }, { "x": 2009, "y": 3501 }, { "x": 2010, "y": 3054 }, { "x": 2011, "y": 3074 }, { "x": 2012, "y": 2267 }, { "x": 2013, "y": 1852 }, { "x": 2014, "y": 3596 }, { "x": 2015, "y": 3044 }, { "x": 2016, "y": 2418 }, { "x": 2017, "y": 2482 }, { "x": 2018, "y": 2466 }, { "x": 2019, "y": 2232 }, { "x": 2020, "y": 2100 }, { "x": 2021, "y": 1772 } ] } ], "scales": [ { "name": "x", "type": "ordinal", "range": "width", "zero": false, "domain": { "data": "table", "field": "x" } }, { "name": "y", "type": "linear", "range": "height", "nice": true, "domain": { "data": "table", "field": "y" } } ], "axes": [ { "type": "x", "scale": "x" }, { "type": "y", "scale": "y" } ], "marks": [ { "type": "rect", "from": { "data": "table" }, "properties": { "enter": { "x": { "scale": "x", "field": "x" }, "y": { "scale": "y", "field": "y" }, "y2": { "scale": "y", "value": 0 }, "fill": { "value": "steelblue" }, "width": { "scale": "x", "band": "true", "offset": -1 } } } } ] }</graph>The total oil throughput of the terminal up to the end of 2021 was 104.585 million tonnes.<ref name=":0" />
==Natural gas pipeline== The {{convert|440|km|adj=on}} long Norpipe natural gas pipeline runs from Ekofisk to a receiving terminal at Emden in Germany. The diameter of pipeline is {{convert|36|in|mm}} and it has capacity of {{convert|16|e9m3|abbr=off}} of natural gas per year.<ref name=nordic> {{cite web |publisher = Nordic Energy Perspectives |url = http://www.nordicenergyperspectives.org/Natural%20gas%20corr20090302.pdf |title = Natural gas in the Nordic countries |date = March 2009 |page = 31 |accessdate = 2009-11-10 |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110727125950/http://www.nordicenergyperspectives.org/Natural%20gas%20corr20090302.pdf |archivedate = 27 July 2011 |df = dmy-all }} </ref> The natural gas pipeline was commissioned in 1977 and will be in use until 2028.<ref name=scandoil2> {{cite news | publisher = | newspaper = Scandinavian Oil-Gas Magazine | url= https://www.scandoil.com/moxie-bm2/gas/pipelines_gas/gassco-gets-consent-to-use-b-11-facility-norpipe-u.shtml | title = Gassco gets consent to use B-11 facility, Norpipe until 2028 | date = 2009-01-20 | accessdate=2009-11-10 | issn = 1500-709X}} </ref> The start-up investment was 26.4 billion Norwegian krone. The pipeline is owned by Gassled and operated by Gassco.<ref name=scandoil2/> The technical service provider is ConocoPhillips.
On 30 September 1995, a German cargo ship ''Reint'' collided with the Norpipe H7-platform in the German continental shelf. Only minimal damages to the platform, and no injuries to people were caused.<ref name=risk> {{cite book | publisher = Springer | last = Vinnem | first = Jan Erik | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=IYZ6BkRm4qgC&pg=PA354 | title = Offshore risk assessment: principles, modelling and applications of QRA studies | year = 2007 | accessdate=2009-11-10 | isbn = 978-1-84628-716-9}} </ref> The H7 platform has been off-the-service since 1999, and in 2007 a bypass pipe laid around the platform.<ref name=upstream250607> {{cite news | newspaper = Upstream Online | publisher = NHST Media Group | url= http://www.upstreamonline.com/live/article136054.ece | title = Gassco plugs in Norpipe bypass | date = 2007-06-25 | accessdate=2009-11-10}} </ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Germany|Energy}} * Europipe I * Europipe II * Franpipe * MIDAL
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== * [http://www.gassco.no/wps/wcm/connect/gassco-en/gassco/home/var-virksomhet/ror-og-plattformer/norpipe Norpipe (Gassco website)]
{{Coord missing|Germany}}
Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 1975 Category:North Sea energy Category:Natural gas pipelines in Germany Category:Natural gas pipelines in Norway Category:Oil pipelines in Norway Category:Oil pipelines in the United Kingdom Category:Equinor Category:ExxonMobil buildings and structures Category:Shell plc Category:ConocoPhillips Category:Eni Category:TotalEnergies Category:Pipelines under the North Sea Category:Norway–United Kingdom relations Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 1977 Category:1975 establishments in Norway Category:1977 establishments in Norway Category:1975 establishments in England Category:1977 establishments in West Germany