Offshore staff
RÜGEN, Germany – Saipem’s trench/pipelay barge Castoro 10 is in the Baltic Sea off northern Germany tying together two ends of a Nord Stream 2 pipe string laid last year on the seafloor.
The vessel will connect the two sections via an above-water tie-in. This will involve lifting the pipe ends out of the water followed by cutting, aligning, and welding them together from a working platform attached to the vessel.
The weld seam will be ultrasonically tested and coated with an anti-corrosion protection. Afterwards, the pipe string will be placed on the seafloor in a slight arc.
According to Nord Stream 2 AG, with favorable weather conditions and smooth operations, the tie-in could be completed within a week.
So far over 70% of the twin Nord Stream 2 pipelines have been laid (more than 1,700 km/1,056 mi), in the waters offshore Germany, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.
08/14/2019
