Norwegian oil and gas company StatoilHydro has started gas exports from the Kvitebjorn field in the North Sea, after successful repairs to the gas pipeline between the platform and the Kollsnes processing plant near Bergen, Norway.
The company said that the repair work has gone according to plan and the subsequent testing has shown that the pipeline is now ready for use. The Visund field, which uses the same pipeline, has also resumed gas exports.
StatoilHydro said that Kvitebjorn has been shut down since August 20, 2008 when a gas leak was discovered during a routine inspection of the pipeline.
The leak arose in the part of the pipeline that was damaged by a ship’s anchor in autumn 2007. The fracture spot lies at a depth of 210m, about 10km from the platform.
The pipeline was repaired by inserting a new section of pipe in the damaged area and connecting it to the pipeline with the help of two Morgrip pipe connectors which seal the coupling.
According to current plans for the field, some 55 billion cubic metres of gas and 22 million cubic metres of condensate are expected to be produced from Kvitebjørn.
Headquartered in Norway, StatoilHydro claims to have more than 30 years of experience from the Norwegian continental shelf dealing with offshore projects. It aims to deliver growth and continue to develop technologies and manage projects that will meet the world’s energy and climate challenges in a sustainable way.