According to DNV, X-Stream is based on established and field-proven technologies which have been innovatively arranged, and can reduce both the pipeline wall thickness and time spent on welding and installation compared to deepwater gas pipelines currently in operation.

DNV Chief Executive Officer Dr Henrik Madsen said “It’s essential for DNV that the new concept meets the strict requirements of the existing safety and integrity regime, and I’m pleased to confirm that this concept does.”

Current deepwater gas pipelines have thick walls and, due to quality and safety requirements, the number of pipe mills capable of producing the pipe is limited. When installing pipelines, the heavy weights are difficult to handle and the thick walls are challenging to weld. The number of pipelaying vessels for deepwater pipelines is also limited.

New offshore oil and gas fields are being developed in deeper and deeper waters and export solutions for the gas are critical. New exploration activities are also heading for ultra-deepwaters, while the distance to shore is also increasing. For these kinds of fields, the X-Stream concept represents an alternative to installations such as floating LNG plants combined with LNG shuttle tankers.

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DNV says that its study is a concept study only, and a basic and detailed design will need to be carried out before the X-Stream concept is realised on a real project. DNV intends to work further with the industry to refine and test the concept.

Dr Madsen said “I’m pleased to announce the outcome of this innovation project. At DNV, we feel confident that, by further qualifying the X-Stream concept, huge financial savings can be made for long-distance, deepwater gas pipelines without compromising pipeline safety and integrity.”