Second Pipelay on Nord Stream Phase Two Completed

The second phase of the Nord Stream pipeline project has hit an important milestones ahead of schedule today, its operator said, with the completion of pipelaying activity on the second line.

The laying completes the last stage of the 1,224-kilometre offshore pipeline, which is due to be opened for gas transit towards the end of this year. The first stage of the Nord Stream pipeline has been operational since November of last year.

Nord Stream's Deputy Project Director of Construction, Ruurd Hoekstra, credited careful planning and operations for the speed of the finished line, praising in particular on pipelay vessel involved in the construction of the pipe.

"Saipem's Castoro Sei has done an excellent job for us," he said. "The vessel has been working 24/7 on this project for two years with its crew of 330 persons with only a one month planned maintenance break in May 2011. Her average lay-rate has been significantly faster than expected, the quality of welds has been exceptionally high and the safety record is outstanding.

"We are very pleased to have completed pipelay for Line 2 well in advance of the planned schedule. It is another major milestone for Nord Stream," he continued.  

"The fact that we were able to complete our complex construction schedule involving three pipelay vessels working simultaneously on different sections of the pipeline was made possible by years of detailed and careful planning. The expertise of our staff and contractors – technical, logistics, safety, environmental and operational – allowed for a smooth-running construction programme that met all environmental and safety considerations."

The finished pipeline will now be de-watered and dried, ready to be linked to landfalls in Russia and Germany. When fully in operation, the twin pipelines will be capable of transporting up to 50 billion cubic metres of gas from Russia to Europe for at least 50 years, Nord Stream AG says.