Neptune Energy has begun installation of a heated subsea production pipeline in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Once completed, the 36 km electrically trace-heated (ETH) pipe-in-pipe line will transport oil from Neptune-operated Fenja field to the Njord A platform, operated by Equinor ASA.
Phase 1 installation included lay and testing of 9 km. Neptune said that the heated pipe-in-pipe solution permitted it to tie the field back to existing infrastructure, reducing costs. The company described the pipeline as the longest ETH project in the world.
The project was developed and qualified with TechnipFMC. The companies expect to complete installation during 2021 using TechnipFMC’s Deep Energy pipelay vessel.
The high wax content of Fenja’s oil requires that the pipeline’s contents be warmed to above 28° C. before starting flow after a shut down. During normal production, the temperature in the pipeline would be well above this temperature.
Fenja lies about 120 km north of Kristiansund, Norway, at a water depth of roughly 320 m. Neptune Energy’s (30%) partners in the field include Vår Energi (45%), Suncor Energy (17.5%), and DNO ASA (7.5%).
