Ormen Lange
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Just west of us, far out in the Norwegian Sea, lies the enormous Ormen Lange gas field. It is Norway’s second-largest gas field in operation, and a true technological marvel. The sea depth out here ranges from 800 to 1,100 meters, yet we have managed to extract natural gas from a landscape no human has ever set foot in. The gas is transported through subsea pipelines to the processing facility at Nyhamna, on the island of Gossa, just west of Kristiansund. From there, it continues to Easington in England via a 1,300-kilometre-long pipeline, more than one meter in diameter. Production began in 2007, and daily output has reached up to 70 million cubic meters — enough to supply millions of households across Europe. This represents a daily value of over 20 million euros. The name Ormen Lange is taken from the old Norse sagas. According to Snorre Sturlason, it was the majestic longship of Olav Tryggvason, built in the tradition of dragon-headed warships. Just like the ship once ruled the seas, today’s Ormen Lange dominates the deep — with power and a steady course into the future.