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Friday, 05 December, 2008, 17:10 GMT | more >>

Kiwi Kupe project hits milestone



By Upstream staff 

New Zealand’s Kupe gas project has reached a key milestone as the final stage of the main offshore gas pipeline is laid between the offshore platform and onshore processing plant by Technip’s Apache pipelaying vessel.

“The three 10 kilometre sections of pipeline have been laid quickly, without any serious delays,” said Kupe gas project director, Peter Ashford.

The Apache uses a reel-lay method for installing small- and medium-diameter pipelines. This allows a pipeline, which has already been welded together onshore, to be reeled off the back of the ship easily and quickly with much less risk of weather downtime, project operator Orgin Energy Resources said.

The 12-inch pipeline links the offshore wellhead platform to the onshore production station at Hawera through a tunnel drilled under cliffs on the Taranaki coast.

The project is expected to come onstream in the middle of next year.

Origin runs the Kupe project with a 50% stake, while partners Genesis Energy (31%), New Zealand Oil & Gas (15%) and Mitsui E&P Australia (5%) hold the remaining interest.


Tuesday, 12 February, 2008, 02:54 GMT  | last updated: Tuesday, 12 February, 2008, 03:28 GMT

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