OAL pipeline Pre-commissioning by Techfem

Another step towards the diversification of the European gas supplies and routes

Following the completion of the pre-commissioning campaigns of the offshore sections of the TAP Trans Adriatic Pipeline system (36” – 105km) and of the BPP Baltic Pipe Project (36” – 274km), Techfem successfully delivered to Saipem the pre-commissioning service of the Ostsee Anbindungsleitung (OAL), a 48” 52km-long natural gas offshore connection to a floating LNG regasification system, and designed for future
hydrogen transport.
The OAL pipeline links the industrial port of Mukran (Sassnitz, Germany) where the FSRU Floating Storage Regasification Unit is moored to GASCADE onshore facilities in Lubmin, where the gas is injected in the national transmission system.

We performed the whole pre-commissioning package on a turn-key basis:

– Flooding, cleaning and gauging of the pipeline, with filtered UV seawater;
– Hydrostatic test;
– Desalting of the pipeline by means of fresh water;
– Dewatering with compressed dry air;
– Drying of the pipeline, to prevent the formation of hydrates.

In many ways a challenging job, marked by tight schedule requirements and the unfavourable weather conditions of the winter season, as well as by a close coordination with simultaneous operations implemented by the client GASCADE Gastransport.

Following an overall project duration of 18 months from concept to construction, the pre-commissioning phase was sensationally carried out in 38 days, including mobilization and demobilization of our equipment and crew.
The next destination is the Mediterranean sea where Techfem is involved in a similar campaign that will reinforce the security of gas supplies of another EU member state.