OFFSHORE EUROPE
Jeremy Beckman - London
IKM to conduct Skanled studies
Norwegian gas distributor Gassco has contracted IKM for studies for a proposed trans-Scandinavian offshore/onshore pipeline system. Skanled would transport gas from the Kaarsto terminal in western Norway to Rafnes on the east coast, before meandering southeast to Sweden and Denmark through the Skaggerak and Kattegat regions.
The landfalls in Sweden would be either at Lysekil, Stenungsund, or Varberg, while the options in Denmark are Saeby or Frederikshavn. One of the 10 Skanled partners, energinet.dk, plans to take its share of the gas through a new 120-km (74.6-mi) onshore line to a storage facility in central Jutland.
IKM Ocean Design in Stavanger and Trondheim, Norway, will perform most of the design work for the 853-km (530-mi) pipeline system, including associated subsea structures and receiving/metering stations. Gassco estimates the overall project cost at around NOK10 billion ($1.84 billion). It expects an investment decision in October 2009, leading to first gas deliveries in December 2012.
Paper work is under way for another proposed long-distance gas trunkline in the Mediterranean Sea, taking supplies from Algeria to Sardinia and Tuscany in western Italy. Sonatrach and Edison are the main partners in Galsi, the company established to build and operate this line.
Recently, Galsi filed an application with Italy’s Ministry of Economic Development for construction in the 596-km (370-mi) Italian segment, requesting permission to initiate environmental impact studies. A first submarine section would make landfall at Porto Botte in Sardinia, followed by a 272-km (169-mi) overland stretch through the island, and a further submarine segment to Piombino on the mainland, where it would connect to the country’s transmission network. Galso would have an overall length of 900 km (559 mi), 600 km (373 mi) of this offshore, with an initial transmission capacity of 8 bcm/yr.
Providence takes blocks in Kish basin
Irish independent Providence Resources has secured a three-year licensing option over eight blocks in the Kish basin off eastern Ireland, in partnership with Star Energy. Star is a subsidiary of Petronas. It has a 50-50 joint venture with Providence to develop gas storage initiatives offshore Ireland.
However, Providence’s immediate priority is finding oil. Early last month the semisub Global Arctic II began drilling an appraisal well on Hook Head in the North Sea Celtic basin, 60 km (37.3 mi) offshore Wexford. Providence successfully re-entered this structure last year, following a gap of three decades since Marathon’s discovery wells – but downhole mechanical conditions prevented a flow test.
After completing the new well, the rig will move 20 km (12.4 mi) north to appraise Dunmore, an oil accumulation in much shallower water, discovered by Gulf Oil in 1986.
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Volume 68 Issue 9
September 2008
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