is one of the North Sea’s largest underwater gasping it’s called Northern
underwater gasping it’s called Northern
underwater gasping it’s called Northern Light at 40 kilometers long and ten
Light at 40 kilometers long and ten
Light at 40 kilometers long and ten kilometers wide and containing over 300
kilometers wide and containing over 300
kilometers wide and containing over 300 billion cubic meters of gas
billion cubic meters of gas
billion cubic meters of gas it’s simply massive but it’s locked in
it’s simply massive but it’s locked in
it’s simply massive but it’s locked in an icy to 3000 metres below the surface
an icy to 3000 metres below the surface
an icy to 3000 metres below the surface so deep and so remote that it’s
so deep and so remote that it’s
so deep and so remote that it’s considered beyond the reach of man and
considered beyond the reach of man and
considered beyond the reach of man and machine and that is until the engineers
machine and that is until the engineers
machine and that is until the engineers at norske drove the Norwegian energy
at norske drove the Norwegian energy
at norske drove the Norwegian energy company decided it’s just too tempting
company decided it’s just too tempting
company decided it’s just too tempting to ignore me because there is enough gas
to ignore me because there is enough gas
to ignore me because there is enough gas to supply 20 percent of Great Britain’s
to supply 20 percent of Great Britain’s
to supply 20 percent of Great Britain’s gas needs for 40 years it will take 10
gas needs for 40 years it will take 10
gas needs for 40 years it will take 10 years and cost ten billion dollars first
years and cost ten billion dollars first
years and cost ten billion dollars first they’ll drill the Ormen Lange gas
they’ll drill the Ormen Lange gas
they’ll drill the Ormen Lange gas deposit transport the gas 120 kilometres
deposit transport the gas 120 kilometres
deposit transport the gas 120 kilometres to one of Norway’s largest processing
to one of Norway’s largest processing
to one of Norway’s largest processing plants at nyhamna then sent the
plants at nyhamna then sent the
plants at nyhamna then sent the processed gas to the UK down the
processed gas to the UK down the
processed gas to the UK down the Langlade pipeline a staggering 1,200
Langlade pipeline a staggering 1,200
Langlade pipeline a staggering 1,200 kilometres the pipes are each 12 metres
kilometres the pipes are each 12 metres
kilometres the pipes are each 12 metres long and weigh 10 tons with another 10
long and weigh 10 tons with another 10
long and weigh 10 tons with another 10 tons of concrete and metal is added to
tons of concrete and metal is added to
tons of concrete and metal is added to give them enough weight to stay on the
give them enough weight to stay on the
give them enough weight to stay on the ocean floor each of the 100,000 pipes is
ocean floor each of the 100,000 pipes is
ocean floor each of the 100,000 pipes is numbered as it comes out of the plan
numbered as it comes out of the plan
numbered as it comes out of the plan destined for a specific location in the
destined for a specific location in the
destined for a specific location in the line the pipe laying itself is a
line the pipe laying itself is a
line the pipe laying itself is a monstrous job once the pipe is being
monstrous job once the pipe is being
monstrous job once the pipe is being manufactured it is placed onto the
manufactured it is placed onto the
manufactured it is placed onto the supply ships for delivery to the pipe
supply ships for delivery to the pipe
supply ships for delivery to the pipe laying barge the lb 200
laying barge the lb 200
laying barge the lb 200 the barges huge longer than two football
the barges huge longer than two football
the barges huge longer than two football fields
fields
fields it’s an enormous floating steel welding
it’s an enormous floating steel welding
it’s an enormous floating steel welding factory which has to work with military
factory which has to work with military
factory which has to work with military precision the pipeline is built as a
precision the pipeline is built as a
precision the pipeline is built as a continuous tool it has dropped from the
continuous tool it has dropped from the
continuous tool it has dropped from the ship to the seabed if the ship halts for
ship to the seabed if the ship halts for
ship to the seabed if the ship halts for too long the strain on the pipe could
too long the strain on the pipe could
too long the strain on the pipe could snap this is no ordinary welding
snap this is no ordinary welding
snap this is no ordinary welding operation the process involves a special
operation the process involves a special
operation the process involves a special welding machine with eight heads per
welding machine with eight heads per
welding machine with eight heads per station
passing through each of the welding
passing through each of the welding stations in seven minutes the pipe is
stations in seven minutes the pipe is
stations in seven minutes the pipe is then checked by an ultrasound machine if
then checked by an ultrasound machine if
then checked by an ultrasound machine if applause detected it has to be repaired
applause detected it has to be repaired
applause detected it has to be repaired immediately before moving to the next
immediately before moving to the next
immediately before moving to the next station after all the welding stations
station after all the welding stations
station after all the welding stations have linked the pipe the final step of
have linked the pipe the final step of
have linked the pipe the final step of the operation is to seal the exposed
the operation is to seal the exposed
the operation is to seal the exposed metal
it is covered in a protective heat
it is covered in a protective heat shrunk plastic without this the steel
shrunk plastic without this the steel
shrunk plastic without this the steel pipe is broken
the most critical step of the operation
the most critical step of the operation offloading the pipe to the seafloor
offloading the pipe to the seafloor
as the pipe enters the ocean it begins
as the pipe enters the ocean it begins to sack and pressure is put on the
to sack and pressure is put on the
to sack and pressure is put on the entire pipeline which is free hanging
entire pipeline which is free hanging
entire pipeline which is free hanging beneath the ship without exactly the
beneath the ship without exactly the
beneath the ship without exactly the right tension the fight could snap like
right tension the fight could snap like
right tension the fight could snap like a matchstick the pipe comes off the back
a matchstick the pipe comes off the back
a matchstick the pipe comes off the back of the barge who must call a lazy-s
of the barge who must call a lazy-s
of the barge who must call a lazy-s configuration that s of unsupported pipe
configuration that s of unsupported pipe
configuration that s of unsupported pipe has to be kept from just buckling under
has to be kept from just buckling under
has to be kept from just buckling under its own weight
its own weight
its own weight so to keep it under control you’ve got
so to keep it under control you’ve got
so to keep it under control you’ve got to keep that under a huge tension to
to keep that under a huge tension to
to keep that under a huge tension to stop it from just collapsing under its
stop it from just collapsing under its
stop it from just collapsing under its own weight as the pipe is lowered the
own weight as the pipe is lowered the
own weight as the pipe is lowered the barge moves forward 24 meters not a
barge moves forward 24 meters not a
barge moves forward 24 meters not a meter more with this well-oiled
meter more with this well-oiled
meter more with this well-oiled operation the lb 200 is able to lay over
operation the lb 200 is able to lay over
operation the lb 200 is able to lay over 100 kilometres of pipeline a month
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