Saipem Scoops TAP Offshore Pipelay
Saipem has been awarded the contract to lay the offshore section of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project – the joint venture of BP, Azerbaijan's state Socar, European gas grid operators Snam, Fluxys and Enagas and the Swiss utility Axpo.
The EPCI – engineering, procurement, construction and installation – contract involves the installation of a gas pipeline under the Adriatic between the coasts of Albania and Italy. Specifically, it includes marine surveys, installation of a 36-inch, 105-km offshore gas pipeline, supply and installation of an offshore fibre optic cable, pre-commissioning activities and civil works at the landfalls in both Albania and Italy. Landfall in Italy will be at San Foca in Puglia and will be undertaken using micro-tunnelling technology. Neither TAP nor Saipem disclosed the value.
Offshore installation works – at their deepest point 820 metres below the surface – will be carried out using Saipem’s semi-submersible pipelay vessel Castoro Sei and the trench/pipelay barge Castoro 10. Saipem said that works will commence in 2016. TAP's commercial start-up is scheduled for 2020.
TAP on March 4 named EPC contractors for pipe-laying the 760-km onshore route across Greece and Albania; it awarded the onshore Italian contracts in December.
Albania’s national regulatory authority ERE on April 13 published its decision finally to certify TAP as a transmission system operator under the Third Energy Package. ERE’s national decision is accompanied by the Final Joint Decision on certification of TAP issued jointly by the Albanian, Greek and Italian regulatory authorities.
Saipem has long experience of subsea pipelay with the 1978-built Castoro Sei and 1976-built Castoro 10 having both helped lay the Blue Stream and Nord Stream pipelines, among others.
"Saipem's robust technical bid, strong safety track record and experienced team of specialists reassure us that works will be executed to the highest standards and industry best practice,” said TAP managing director Ian Bradshaw.
Separately Saipem earlier this week signed an agreement in Iran to consider potential cooperation on the onshore Toos gas field development there.
Mark Smedley