Parts of the pipeline system run between facilities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), while others connect facilities on the shelf to those on mainland Norway. There are also export pipelines serving reception facilities in Germany, Belgium, France and the UK.

Gas transport

Gassco is operator for close to 9,000 kilometres of gas pipelines and is responsible for the safe operation of the Norwegian gas transport system,  exercising its role in two ways:

  • Equinor carries out day-to-day monitoring of many of these pipeline systems in its role as a Technical Service Provider (TSP) – delivering services and reporting to Gassco.
  • Other major pipeline systems, such as Norpipe, Vesterled and Polarled, are monitored directly by Gassco without the involvement of a TSP.

Audit activities

Our supervision of this aspect of the industry is carried out in the form of audit activities and meetings at which agendas are dominated by reports on technical integrity status and future plans for system monitoring.

We collaborate, and attend annual meetings, with the relevant safety authorities in receiving countries (Germany, Belgium, France and the UK), and also with countries that have shelves that are traversed by the pipelines (Denmark and the Netherlands).

Network

As well as the major gas transport systems referred to above, there exists an extensive network of pipelines installed on the NCS, including those conducting oil and condensate to onshore facilities in Norway and the UK.

Moreover, pipelines installed between different oil and gas fields, combined with those running within individual field complexes, make up a significant portfolio of systems that are of key importance to the companies concerned.

Our experience is that operating conditions for internal field pipelines are often perceived as challenging and demand thorough monitoring on the part of the operator to safeguard and maintain technical integrity throughout pipeline lifetimes.

Follow-up

Our follow-up of this type of pipeline involves the same approach as described above – topic- or area-specific audit activities combined with meetings to review technical status and the challenges currently being addressed by the operator.

In total, Havtil has supervisory responsibility for the entire approx. 18,000 kilometres of gas, oil and condensate pipelines in the Norwegian network.

This article has been taken from the 2023 Havtil Annual Report, submitted to the Norwegian Ministry of Energy. Read the Annual Report in full here: Annual report 2023: The Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority