Norpipe

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title: "Norpipe" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["energy-infrastructure-completed-in-1975", "north-sea-energy", "natural-gas-pipelines-in-germany", "natural-gas-pipelines-in-norway", "oil-pipelines-in-norway", "oil-pipelines-in-the-united-kingdom", "equinor", "exxonmobil-buildings-and-structures", "shell-plc", "conocophillips", "eni", "totalenergies", "pipelines-under-the-north-sea", "norway–united-kingdom-relations", "energy-infrastructure-completed-in-1977", "1975-establishments-in-norway", "1977-establishments-in-norway", "1975-establishments-in-england", "1977-establishments-in-west-germany"] description: "Undersea oil and natural gas pipelines system in the North Sea" topic_path: "geography/germany" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norpipe" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Undersea oil and natural gas pipelines system in the North Sea ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox pipeline"]

Field	Value
name	Norpipe oil pipeline
type	oil
map_caption	Location of Norpipe oil pipeline
country	Norway, United Kingdom
operator	ConocoPhillips
partners	ConocoPhillips, Total S.A., Equinor, Eni, SDFI
length_km	354
diameter_in	34
direction	east–west
start	Ekofisk oil field
finish	Teesside
est	1975
through	North Sea
::

| 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 = | 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. | 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}} 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 50 km from Ekofisk. It has a landfall at Teesside Refinery in England.

The length of pipeline is 354 km and it has diameter of 34 in. 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. | publisher = Statoil | url= http://www.statoil.com/en/OurOperations/pipelines/Downloads/Pipeline-Facts.pdf | title = Pipeline Facts | accessdate=2010-10-09}} The pipeline was commissioned in 1975. | publisher = Subsea Oil & Gas Directory | url= http://www.subsea.org/pipelines/listdetails.asp?PipelineID=5 | title = Norpipe Oil Pipeline | accessdate=2009-11-10}} The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway has granted consent to use the pipeline until 2028.

Booster pumping stations

The specification of the booster station was as follows. ::data[format=table title="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. ::data[format=table title="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:{ "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 } } } } ] }The total oil throughput of the terminal up to the end of 2021 was 104.585 million tonnes.

Natural gas pipeline

The 440 km long Norpipe natural gas pipeline runs from Ekofisk to a receiving terminal at Emden in Germany. The diameter of pipeline is 36 in and it has capacity of 16 e9m3 of natural gas per year. |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 The natural gas pipeline was commissioned in 1977 and will be in use until 2028. | 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}} The start-up investment was 26.4 billion Norwegian krone. The pipeline is owned by Gassled and operated by Gassco. 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. | 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}} The H7 platform has been off-the-service since 1999, and in 2007 a bypass pipe laid around the platform. | 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}}

References

References

1. Heerema. "Ekofisk".
2. (24 October 2016). "Norpipe 36/22 A".
3. (24 November 2016). "Norpipe 37/4 A".
4. "Judy Joanne".
5. "Fulmar".
6. Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) Annex F.1 Crude oil

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