Clear Well Assists Statoil in Recovery
of Tampen Hot Tap

Aberdeen subsea specialist “Clear Well Subsea” have provided a fast track response to Statoil AS in recovering the Tampen Link Hot Tap.

The Tampen Link project enables gas to be transported from the Shell owned FLAGS pipeline to Statoil’s Statfjord B field via a 23.1 kilometer-long subsea pipeline.

The connection and hot tap into Shell’s FLAGS pipeline was completed successfully by Acergy in 2007 and the welded branch connection to the Statoil SIPS pipeline was completed by Technip in 2007.

However the trepanning (Hot Tapping) operation into SIPS pipeline was aborted in 2007 after the hot tapping machine failed to perform.

Statoil took the opportunity to use the Tampen hot tap as a shakedown for the subsea Hot Tap Cutting Unit (HTCU) which forms an integral part of the Pipeline Repair System equipment maintained in readiness at Killingoy in Norway.

Following an intense period of preparation and modification lasting six months the HTCU was deemed ready to carryout the hot tap which was performed successfully on the 20 August 2008.

The Tampen hot tap is the worlds first remote hot tap carried out without the assistance of divers and paves the way for the first deep water remote hot taps into the Ormen Lange pipelines which are scheduled for Q3 2009.

“Clear Well can be very proud of its involvement in this fast track project, we look forward to the Ormen Lange hot taps which will once again prove the unique capabilities of the HTCU” said Keith Evans MD.