One of the largest natural gas fields in the world lies off the coast of Norway: Ormen Lange. Bilfinger Berger is responsible for the insulation of the drilling and refinery facilities.
Text: Hubertus Tessar, Photos: Anne Lise Norheim
“Let there be light”,whispers Maciej Zielinski as he presses the start button on the control panel. The tension is etched in the faces of the men who are looking over the young Pole’s shoulder. They will soon find out whether the natural gas that Shell is pumping out of the North Sea just off the coast of Norway can also be processed safely in the new refinery on land.
All eyes are fixed on a monitor that shows a tall, narrow metal mast: the gas flare. It is the most important safety system at the plant. Tension is rising in the control room. Suddenly an orange-yellow flame lights up the cloud-covered August sky. The men in the control room pat each other on the back with a mixture of pride and relief.
The flame is the first visible sign that the plant is ‘hot’ and thus ready to start operations. In no small part due to the untiring commitment of Maciej Zielinski and his colleagues from Bilfinger Berger Industrial Services.
Everything from a single source
In spring 2004, construction on the 150 hectare onshore station in Nyhamna began. There, gas from the undersea gas field Ormen Lange, or ‘long serpent’ in English, is processed for transport. The builder of the plant gave responsibility for the complete insulation of the pipes – a system with a total length of 130 kilometers – to Bilfinger Berger Industrial Services. The company is known throughout the world for its comprehensive expertise in the area of plant maintenance in the oil and gas industry. “With a volume of about €80 million, Ormen Lange is our biggest single order”, explains Dr. Rudolf Jürcke, Member of the Executive Board at Bilfinger Berger Industrial Services.