Pipeline Construction Progress to Date
Neptune laid a 24-inch 13.1-mile subsea pipeline on the seafloor between July 24 and August 18, 2008. Forty-foot sections of the pipeline were welded together before they were lowered to the sea bottom. Trenching activities began on August 11 and were completed on September 19, 2008. The pipeline was placed in the trench as the trench was being plowed. Prior to backfilling the trench and burying the pipeline, the pipeline was flooded and hydrostatically tested between September 17 and 23, 2008. Upon the successful completion of the hydrostatic testing, the pipeline was buried between October 4 and 12, 2008.
Contractors will return to the site next May to begin installation of the buoy system and hot tap (the valve connecting the pipeline to the existing HubLineSM). Advanced Production Loading (APL) from Norway, the company that built the buoy system, will also be the company installing it, as well as setting permanent anchors and chains and connecting the buoys to the manifold. They will be working from two vessels, along with Cal-Dive (the pipeline contractor), who will be working from two separate diving support vessels. Cal-Dive will be responsible for the hot-tap and manifold installation, which will connect the sub-sea pipeline to the buoy system.
Click on the link below to view the pipeline route.
Pipeline Route