Norway's Den norkse stats oljeselskap AS has disclosed plans for a third major gas pipeline from the Norwegian North Sea to Northwest Europe.
The 403 mile, 40 in. line is to run from a riser platform on the Statpipe system in Block 16/11 to a landfall in Germany.
Start-up date is set for Oct. 1995.
Statoil said the line, with an initial capacity of 1.2 bcfd, will be required to handle increased demand for gas from European customers with existing purchase contracts covering Troll and Sleipner fields.
It also will transport associated gas.
Capacity of the new line could be increased considerably with compression.
Statoil, as head of the Norwegian gas sales committee, is in final stages of negotiations to sell as much as 480 MMcfd of offshore gas to Italy.
The new line, costing 8-9 billion kroner ($1.4-1.5 billion), will raise Norway's gas delivery capacity to 5.8 bcfd by 1995.
Currently there is a single link into the continent, the Statpipe/Norpipe system to Emden, Germany. Design work has started on the Zeepipe system from Troll-Sleipner to Zeebrugge, Belgium, scheduled to open in autumn 1993.
Statoil is recommending that owners of the Zeepipe system finance and own the new pipeline.
By the middle of next year the project is to reach a stage at which a decision on financing is required.
Statoil hopes for final government approval by the end of 1991.
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