Offshore staff

LONDON – First gas has flowed through the Medgaz trunkline taking supplies north from Algeria to mainland Spain via the Mediterranean Sea.

The Medgaz system links onshore pipeline systems in Spain with gas-production facilities onshore Algeria via a 210-km (130-mi) long, reaching a maximum water depth of 2,155 m (7,070 ft).

This submarine pipeline section has an annual capacity of 8 bcm (282.5 bcf). A future scheduled upgrade will boost capacity to 16 bcm (565 bcf).

The project took 10 years to plan and engineer. Operator Medgaz SA commissioned Lloyd's Register Inspection for technical support in 2007 to ensure safe and responsible delivery of the program which will provide gas for power-generating plants, and Spanish domestic demand.

Lloyd’s has completed five inspection-related work packages to ensure compliance with codes and standards at the suppliers' facilities and on-site during construction of the pipeline – offshore and onshore – and at the onshore facilities during installation, testing, and commissioning.

07/07/2011