Gassco granted consent for first phase of Valemon rich gas pipeline disposal

Norway’s Gassco AS has been granted consent by the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) for disposal of the Valemon rich gas pipeline.

The consent applies to phase 1 disposal of the 177-km, 22-in. pipeline, which has been used for transporting rich gas from Valemon field to the Heimdal riser platform in the North Sea.

Decommissioning and disposal of pipeline will be carried out in three phases. Phase 1 involves the removal of hydrocarbons and water filling (activity period 2023), while phase 2 and phase 3 include the disconnection of the pipeline from Heimdal riser platform, removal of remaining structures, and other final activities in preparation for the permanent abandonment of the field and safety zone (activity period 2024-2028).

Heimdal field lies in the central part of the North Sea in water depth of 120 m. Heimdal was discovered in 1972, and production started in 1985. Heimdal is now mainly used as a gas processing center for other tied-in fields. A decommissioning plan for Heimdal was submitted in 2020.