The development of the Ormen Lange field in the Norwegian Sea is one of the largest and most demanding industrial projects ever carried out in Norway.

The field will be able to cover as much as 20 percent of Britains gas needs, for up to 40 years.

The plan for development and operation (PDO) of the Ormen Lange field was submitted to the Norwegian authorities on 4 December 2003. Norske Shell took over as operator on 1  December 2007.

The field has been developed with sea-floor installations at depths of between 800 and 1,100 metres, combined with an onshore plant at Nyhamna in Aukra municipality in Norway, for processing and exporting the gas.

This represents a significant advance in technological development on the Norwegian continental shelf.

No platform

Not a single installation is visible on the surface of the sea above Ormen Lange. All the installations are at sea depths of 800 to 1,100 metres.

Following a gradual increase in production over the first two to three years, the field will produce 70 million standard cubic metres (scm) of gas per 24-hour period.

With recoverable gas reserves estimated at 397 billion scm, deliveries are likely to continue for 30 to 40 years. 

Following processing at the onshore facility in Aukra, the gas will be exported through the 1,200-kilometre long pipeline Langeled, to the reception centre in Easington on the east coast of the UK.

The gas can also be transported via the riser platform in the Sleipner area of the North Sea to customers in continental Europe.

A challenging development

In technological terms, the development of Ormen Lange was extremely challenging.

Pipelines and installations had to be placed on the extremely steep and uneven area of the sea bed where the Storegga Slide took place 8,000 years ago.

In addition, the installations must withstand the exceptional currents that are characteristic of this part of the Norwegian Sea, as well as sub-zero temperatures on the sea bed, and extreme wind and wave conditions.

In order to tackle these demanding aspects of the environment, the Ormen Lange partnership has collaborated with key sections of the Norwegian research and industrial communities.