The video “Inside The World’s Longest Underwater Pipeline That Transports Gas” by Spark explores the construction of the 1200 km subsea pipeline connecting Norway to the United Kingdom, which will be the longest in the world when completed in 2008.
The pipeline is part of a plan to tap into Norway’s second largest gas deposit, Ormen Lange, located 3 km below the ocean surface and 120 km offshore. The deposit is so deep and remote that it was previously considered beyond human reach.
Norsk Hydro, the Norwegian energy company, decided to pursue the project despite the extreme challenges, as the gas field is capable of providing 20% of the UK’s gas needs for decades.
All construction has to be completed by robots working against strong uderwater currents, sub-zero temperatures and extreme wind and wave conditions. When tapped, the gas will be transported to one of the world’s largest automated gas processing plants to prepare it for shipment to the U.K.
The video provides an in-depth look at the engineering feats and innovations required to build such a massive underwater pipeline in a remote and inhospitable environment.
It showcases how human ingenuity and technological advancements can overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to harness natural resources and meet energy demands.
Key Points
- The pipeline will be the longest in the world at 1200 km when completed in 2008
- It connects Norway’s Ormen Lange gas field to the UK
- Ormen Lange is Norway’s second largest gas deposit, located 3 km below the ocean surface and 120 km offshore
- The gas field is capable of providing 20% of the UK’s gas needs for decades
- All construction has to be completed by robots working against strong underwater currents, sub-zero temperatures and extreme wind and wave conditions
- The gas will be transported to one of the world’s largest automated gas processing plants to prepare it for shipment to the U.K
Vocabulary List
- Subsea: located or operating under the surface of the sea. Example: The subsea pipeline transports gas from Norway to the UK.
- Deposit: a natural accumulation of a particular substance. Example: The Ormen Lange gas deposit is Norway’s second largest.
- Remote: situated far from the main centers of population; distant. Example: The gas field is located in a remote area of the North Sea.
- Inhospitable: (of a place) not hospitable; hostile or uninviting. Example: The construction site has an inhospitable environment with strong currents and sub-zero temperatures.
- Automated: operated by largely automatic equipment and machinery, with minimal human intervention. Example: The gas processing plant is one of the world’s largest automated facilities.
- Harness: to control and make use of (natural resources, for example). Example: The pipeline project aims to harness Norway’s natural gas resources.
- Feats: an achievement that requires great skill, strength, or courage. Example: Building the world’s longest subsea pipeline is an engineering feat.
- Innovations: a new method, idea, product, etc. Example: The pipeline project utilizes innovative technologies to overcome challenges.
- Insurmountable: (of a problem or difficulty) impossible to overcome. Example: The extreme conditions in the North Sea pose seemingly insurmountable challenges for the construction team.
- Advancements: progress in the development of a technology, technique, or scientific field. Example: Technological advancements have made the pipeline project possible.
Quiz
- What is the length of the subsea pipeline connecting Norway to the UK?
a) 800 km
b) 1000 km
c) 1200 km
d) 1500 km - Which gas field is the pipeline tapping into?
a) Troll
b) Ormen Lange
c) Snøhvit
d) Goliat - How deep below the ocean surface is the Ormen Lange gas field located?
a) 1 km
b) 2 km
c) 3 km
d) 4 km - What percentage of the UK’s gas needs can the Ormen Lange gas field provide?
a) 10%
b) 15%
c) 20%
d) 25% - What type of facility will the gas be transported to for processing?
a) Offshore platform
b) Onshore refinery
c) Automated gas processing plant
d) LNG terminal
Answer Key
- c) 1200 km
- b) Ormen Lange
- c) 3 km
- c) 20%
- c) Automated gas processing plant
