Langeled pipeline

Langeled pipeline
Easington terminal of the Langeled pipeline
Location of Langeled pipeline
Location
Country	Norway, United Kingdom
General direction	east-south-west
From	Nyhamna, Norway
Passes through	Sleipner Riser platform
To	Easington, United Kingdom
General information
Type	natural gas
Partners	Petoro, Statoil, Norske Shell, DONG Energy, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Gassco
Operator	Gassco
Technical information
Length	1,166 km (725 mi)
Maximum discharge	25.5 billion cubic meters per year

The Langeled pipeline (originally known as Britpipe) is an underwater pipeline transporting Norwegian natural gas to the United Kingdom. Before the completion of the Nord Stream pipeline, it was the longest subsea pipeline in the world.

The project was launched under the original name Britpipe. In October 2003, Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil and Statoil signed agreements to supply natural gas through the Britpipe. The pipeline's construction began in 2004. The largest part of the pipeline was installed by Acergy Piper, a pipe-laying ship of Acergy. Other pipe-laying ships, which were used, are Solitaire of Allseas, and Saipem 7000 of Saipem.

The pipeline was opened in two stages. The southern section (Sleipner Riser platform to Easington) began piping gas on 1 October 2006, the northern section (Nyhamna to Sleipner Riser) opened in October 2007. The official opening of the project was held in London on 16 October 2006 by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Norwegian counterpart, Jens Stoltenberg.

The pipeline runs 1,166 kilometres (725 mi) through the North Sea from the Nyhamna terminal in Norway via the Sleipner Riser platform in the North Sea to Easington Gas Terminal in England. The pipeline is designated to bring natural gas from the Ormen Lange gas process terminal to the UK, but through the connector at Sleipner Riser it provides also an opportunity to send gas through Gassco's existing network to continental Europe.