Pioneering Spirit Gets a Scrub Down
The world's largest vessel, Pioneering Spirit, received a robotic hull cleaning during a recent port call in Rotterdam.The Allseas owned multipurpose vessel, which is on a temporary break from Nord Stream 2 pipelaying activities, made a stop in Rotterdam to prepare for upcoming topsides lift works at the giant Johan Sverdrup project offshore Norway. While in port, a robotic Fleet Cleaner vehicle cleaned the 382-meter-long vessel's hull despite stormy weather, cold temperatures and wind force 7 Bft. Although the storm increased turbulence in the water, causing almost zero underwater
Pioneering Spirit Shifts to the North Sea
The world's largest heavy lift and pipelay vessel, Pioneering Spirit, will take a temporary pause from Nord Stream 2 pipelaying activities in the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone to perform planned platform lift work in the North Sea.The Allseas-owned vessel, which in 2018 installed the 22,000 t drilling platform topsides for Equinor’s Johan Sverdrup development on the Norwegian continental shelf, will now return to the field to install the 26,000 t processing platform topsides and the 18,000 t living quarters platform topsides. This third-party engagement was already stipulated in Nord
US warns sanctions still an option against Nord Stream 2
The United States could yet impose new sanctions to try to block construction of the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline across the Baltic Sea to the European Union, the U.S. ambassador to the EU said on Tuesday.Asked if Donald Trump could take further measures to thwart a project which the president has said would leave EU countries even more beholden to Moscow for their energy, Gordon Sondland said: "We have not deployed the full set of tools yet that could significantly undermine if not outright stop the project."Addressing an audience at the European Policy Centre think-tank in Brussels
iSURVEY Completes Nord Stream 2 Survey
geophysical seabed survey for offshore pipelay and subsea construction company Allseas.The project team set out to identify obstructions and hazardous seabed features over a 40-kilometer section of route survey in the German Baltic prior to forthcoming pipelay anchoring and mooring operations for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.Taking on a vessel charter, the iSURVEY team had full contract responsibility for the vessel, marine, survey, processing and reporting elements of the entire scope – a first for the group.The survey was carried out from the 42-meter vessel SeaZip Fix, on charter to iSURVEY
Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline is 70% Financed so Far
Seventy percent of funds needed to finance the Nord Stream 2 underwater gas pipeline from Russia to Germany have been raised, TASS news agency quoted the head of Russian gas giant Gazprom, Alexei Miller, as saying on Sunday.Nord Stream 2, which will double the capacity from the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline from a current 55 billion cubic metres of gas a year, is owned by Gazprom, which is taking on half of the planned costs of 9.5 billion euros ($11 billion).The rest is divided between five European energy companies - Germany's Uniper and Wintershall, Anglo- Dutch group Royal Dutch Shell
Environmentalists File Second Complaint to Block Nord Stream 2
Environmental campaign group ClientEarth has filed a complaint with a court in Sweden to block the construction through Swedish waters of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline intended to transport Russian gas to Germany, it said on Wednesday.Sweden approved the pipeline in June, but ClientEarth's complaint argues that the Swedish Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation failed to consider the impact the project would have on wildlife in the Baltic Sea.The work involves detonating World War Two bombs on the sea floor along the project's 510 km route in Sweden and ClientEarth said that could cause
Nord Stream 2 Seeks Alternative Route to Avoid Danish Waters
The Russia-led Nord Stream 2 consortium said on Friday it has applied to Denmark for an alternative gas pipeline route through the Baltic Sea that would avoid the Nordic state's territorial waters.Denmark is facing a dilemma on whether the project can be built near its Baltic coast and its parliament may pass legislation allowing it to veto the Nord Stream 2 pipeline going through Danish territorial waters on security grounds.Russia is keen to press ahead with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline since it has the potential to double its gas exports under the Baltic Sea to Germany, bypassing traditional
Nord Stream 2 Dredging Starting Off German Coast
A consortium of western companies and Russia's Gazprom that is due to build the controversial subsea Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany said on Tuesday it was starting preparatory work in the Greifswald bay off Germany's Baltic coast."Five dredgers are now working on the trench for the two pipeline strings," the consortium, based in Switzerland's Zug, said in a press release. Nord Stream 2 will consist of two pipelines running in parallel."Preparatory works are in accordance with the Stralsund mining authority's planning approval," it said. The regulatory authority
Environmental group files complaint to stop Nord Stream 2 in Finland
Environmental campaign group ClientEarth on Monday said it had submitted a complaint to a Finnish court seeking to stop the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline through Finnish waters citing the risk of serious harm to marine life.Finland approved the pipeline last month and the pipeline's operator started preparatory work shortly after that.The work involves detonating World War Two bombs on the sea floor along the pipeline's proposed route and ClientEarth said that could cause serious harm to porpoises, seals and birds.A Nord Stream spokeswoman said the project organisation would
Extended Charter Contract for Stril Explorer
MMT has extended its contract with Simon Møkster Shipping AS for the DP2 multipurpose support vessel Stril Explorer.MMT has operated Stril Explorer since April 2014, equipped with the latest subsea survey technology and is very suitable for launch and recovery operations with Surveyor Interceptor ROV (SROV), remotely operated vehicles (ROV), autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and geotechnical equipment. Stril Explorer has been part of project for MMTs clients such as Nord Stream Pipelines and Nord Stream 2 and will be operated by MMT during 2018 and 2019.
Boskalis, Van Oord JV Awarded Nord Stream 2 Rock Placement LOI
A joint venture between Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. and Van Oord has been awarded a LoI (Letter of Intent) for rock placement services for the Nord Stream 2 project. The award was made by the project developer Nord Stream 2 AG and is a part of the construction of the planned twin 1,200 kilometer gas pipelines running through the Baltic Sea, connecting Russia to Europe. The contract value is approximately EUR 250 million ($285 million), with a 50 percent share for Boskalis. Contract details are expected to be finalized in the next few weeks. Rock needs to be installed at
