PROjEcT

NORD STREAMTwo pipelines linking Russiaand Germany.

GERMANYRUSSIA

NORD STREAMTwo pipelines linking Russiaand Germany.

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A lARGE-ScAlE GAS PIPElINE SYSTEM TRANSPORTING RESOURcES fROM dISTANT AREAS whIch REPRESENTS A POwERfUl TOOl fOR EcONOMIc GROwTh. TOdAY, EUROPE ANd RUSSIA ARE wORkING TOGEThER fOR ThE fIRST TIME TO cREATE NEw ROUTES ANd dEvElOPMENT. wITh MORE STRENGTh ANd ENERGY.

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Project

NORd STREAM

Pipeline route

Starting Point

EndPoint

A

B

GERMANY

RUSSIA

A

B

ThE RESOURcES Of ThE fAR NORTh TO hEAT EUROPENord Stream is the largest scale subsea pipeline project made to date. Offshore gas pipelines that can boost energy supplies to Europe by bringing natural gas direct from Siberia. Its ambitious objective is an overall transport capacity of 55 billion cubic metres of gas per year.

A lINE ThAT OPENS UP NEw OPPORTUNITIESNord Stream consists of two parallel pipelines that link Vyborg in Russia with Greifswald in Germany, passing through the Baltic Sea. A strategic infrastructure that also symbolizes the new era of exchange and cooperation between Europe and Russia.

A PRESTIGE PROjEcT fOR PRESTIGE clIENTS The project was commissioned and developed under the supervision of Nord Stream AG, an international joint venture composed of Gazprom (51%), Wintershall - a BASF subsidiary (15,5%), E.ON Ruhrgas (15,5%), N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie (9%) and GDF SUEZ (9%).

GAS pipEliNES wiTh ThE pOTENTiAlfOR wORlD bEATiNG cApAciTy

lENGThOf EAch PIPElINE

55 BIllION m3

Of NATURAl GAS PER YEARThE lARGEST SUBSEA PIPElINE

EvER BUIlT

1.224kilometers

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Nord Stream AG chose Saipem for its experience and reputation for innovation, best methods, schedule and technical approach, commissioning the company to lay the two sections of pipelines in their entirety.

Saipem met the challenge with a Task Force Team and with two of its prize vessels, the Castoro 6 and Castoro 10, suitably refitted and modernized, along with the subcontracted Allseas DP vessel Solitaire and an overall fleet of more than 40 support vessels.

Saipem’s task was to lay the two 48” pipelines, with wall thickness ranging from 26.8 mm to 41 mm and concrete weight coating thickness from 60 mm to 110 mm.

It also included the management of other construction activities like Survey, Crossings Preparation, Rock Placement, Trenching and Backfilling and shore approach Pipe Pulling Operations in Germany and Russia.

The total length of 2448 km makes the project both unique and revolutionary in its construction procedures.The route was divided into three separate sections, each with very different characteristics and critical aspects:

•Russian and German landfalls, with laying depth of only 2-3 metres. Preliminary trench dredging and construction works were required before laying to avoid damage to the seabed.

•South-East German Baltic waters, with maximum depth of 18 metres, where the Castoro 10 came into its own laying a stretch of 57 km.

•finnish, Swedish and danish waters, with water depths down to over 210 metres were surveyed and investigated using highly sophisticated sub sea technologies such as Saipem designed and owned remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV).

6th April 2010Start of construction

9th june 2011Start of construction

1st pipEliNE

2nd pipEliNE

TIM

ELIN

E

SAipEM. A ROlE ThAT GOES bEyOND iNNOvATiON

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The pipelines were linked by hyperbaric welded tie-ins after hydrotesting of the individual sections. State of the art technical services were used in the process, carried out by the Nord Stream contractor Technip, using specialist equipment supplied by Statoil.

These included:•controls of seabeds and alignment of the pipeline.•Positioning of aligned segments.•cutting of segment ends.•Insertion of watertight welding plugs in each

pipe end to create a dry area for welding.•Overlapping of pipelines.•Bevelling of the pipe ends.•Alignment of pipelines using pipe handling

frames (PHF).•hyperbaric tie-ins in underwater welding

habitats at depths of between 80 and 110 m.•Total control of all welding operations.

A hugely complex project in terms of capabilities required, variety of resources mobilized and deadlines to be met.

TwO IMPORTANT dEAdlINES Laying of the pipeline entailed a strict schedule of deadlines which were fully met. Indeed, many intermediate deadlines were achieved well in advance: the second pipeline was completed three months before the stipulated contract date.

End of first line pipelay: 5th May 2011End of second line pipelay: 18th April 2012

Further proof, if proof were needed, that Saipem can perform to excellent standards despite ever more stringent deadlines. Outperforming objectives and expectations.

8th October 2012Gas through line 2

(both lines operational)

5th May 2011Pipelay completed

18th April 2012Pipelay completed

8th November 2011first Gas line 1

cASTORO SEIcASTORO 10SOlITAIRE

OvER 40vESSElS

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The most innovative technology ever used to date on an underwater pipeline project. Three state of the art vessels worked together to exceed the most ambitious expectations, with an average of 3.5 km and more than 7000 tonnes of pipe laid per day (Line 2), significantly higher than is currently achieved with traditional onshore pipeline construction techniques.

cASTORO SEIA sophisticated semisubmersible pipelaying vessel which began operations in Sweden before excelling during the shore-pull operations in waters off the coast of Russia.

3.5 kM ANd MORE ThAN 7000 TONNESOf PIPE lAId PER dAY

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cASTORO 10The Castoro 10 was involved in the shore-pull operations and approach for both pipelines and in laying in the shallow waters off the coast of Germany. The complex requirements entailed modifications and customization of the vessel, the removal of some structures from the bridge to reduce draught and consequently help protect delicate shallow marine environments.Once shore-pull pipelay had completed, the Castoro 10 laid the pipelines across the shallow water section of Germany, alternating sections of line 1 and line 2. Simultaneous dredging operations prepared the trenches ahead of the pipelay vessel, thus reducing the risk of trench refill and accelerating laying times.Other new equipment, including soft polyethylene anchor lines, allowed the vessel to manoeuvre and operate without damaging important historic wrecks on the seabed.

SOlITAIREThis vessel has a dynamic positioning system, using thrusters, which enables it to operate without anchors. Solitaire installed sections of Line 1 & 2 through Russian and Finnish waters along particularly complex routes which had previously been prepared.

In conclusion, three high-tech floating gems, over 40 vessels and a multinational task force working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. A unique venture and a unique result.

cONTINUOUS SUPPlIES

dOUBlE-jOINT

TEST NdT

ThREE TEchNOlOGicAl GiANTS iN pERfEcT SyNERGy

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TOTAl cONTROl Of RESOURcES, TIMES ANd OPERATIONAl cAPABIlITIESPrecise definition of every step, activity and professional capability. Right from the tendering stage strategic thinking was all important in order to monitor all activities scrupulously, at every level.Saipem’s considerable international experience of trunkline gas pipeline construction was put to good use in the Nord Stream project.

•A complex management system, fine tuned at every level, ensured accurate timing of required material deliveries that significantly reduced costs and respected the delicate eco-systems involved.

•Detailed planning included construction of new sites near the laying zones for preparation of the coated pipes and support materials.

•Logistics were handled by a team of highly qualified professionals available to travel to the lay areas at short notice and oversee regular and continuous supplies of piping and materials.

•The pre-commissioning phase followed meticulous final “as built” inspection of the entire 2448 km of line and included an extensive database of information recorded by the vessels during operations.

Professionalism, efficiency and team spirit were the hallmarks of the project, from start to finish. Going beyond.

A pROjEcT builTON chAllENGES MATchEDwiTh pERfORMANcE

UNdERwATER wEldING

AT dEPThS Of BETwEEN 80

ANd 110 m

3 kmOff-lIMITS ZONE

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OPTIMUM PROfESSIONAl PERfORMANcE, EvEN AT ThE BOTTOM Of ThE SEAThe project’s construction operations involved innovative working techniques, many applied for the very first time:

•detailed pre-lay inspection of the transit route from Russia to Germany, with vessels at sea for over a year.

•definition of undersea bedrock prior to laying, which allowed the semisubmersible Castoro 6 to operate as closely as possible to the coast during shore-pull operations.

•continuous installation of pipeline by the Castoro 6 for an uninterrupted 1700 km.

•Rock placing for pipeline protection, free spans support and stability for a total length of almost 200 km.

•German landfall Shore-Pull of the 2 pipelines with an 800 tonnes winch in synergy with the Castoro 10.

•Selective location of sites for coating and storage of pipes to limit the distance by sea from the pipelay vessels to under 100 nautical miles and favouring low emission transport such as ships and trains.

•Implementation off-limit zones with a radius of 3 km to prevent collisions with other vessels in busy shipping lanes. Vessels had to comply with severe operational regulations controlling marine traffic, particularly off the Russian coast.

AccURATE lOGISTIcS, SYSTEMATIc PlANS ANd SPEcIfIc AcTIONS cAlIBRATEd TO EAch STEP.A STRATEGIc IdEA TO REAch OBjEcTIvES AhEAd Of SchEdUlE.

PIG Traps and Intelligent PIGs

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ENvIRONMENTAlMONITORING

MONITORINGOf wAR REMNANTS

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TEchNOlOGY ANd INNOvATION cAN BE ENvIRONMENTAllY fRIENdlY All pipelaying operations were carried out with specific procedures aimed at safeguarding the unique natural habitat of the Baltic Sea.A detailed and rigorous programme of environmental and social controls was drawn up before and after installation of lines and extending until 2016. In short, a project within a project, with operations to restore flora and fauna, individually tailored to specific areas and protected species.

The following were (and are) monitored: •Quality of water.•Migration of birds.•Movements of fish.•Population of mammals.•Recovery of historical remains from the seabed.

The programme scrupulously follows the strictest regulations on environmental protection and uses innovative tools such as:

•Underwater vehicles (ROV), controlled from the support vessels, enabling better results with minimum impact on seabeds.

•Passive acoustic system to monitor mammals and prevent them approaching operational zones.

The environmental monitoring system also included the following inspection activities:

•Pre laying, sophisticated controls and clearing out of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO).

•Post-laying, with the recovery and restoration of historical remains. Along the route over 80 munitions were identified and catalogued.

A valuable contribution by technology to local authorities, society at large and to historical records.

MONiTORiNGOf ThE ENviRONMENT ANDOf wAR REMNANTS

ROv

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The pipes are unloaded from the pipe carrier vessels and stacked on the storage areas on each side of the laybarge. Pipes are delivered regularly to ensure that there are always enough supplies on board to maintain the 24 hour construction schedule.

Following non-destructive testing, the double-joint is moved in a pipe elevator to the central assembly line, or “firing line”. There, the insides are checked for debris. The ends of the double-joint are then pre-heated in preparation for welding onto the main pipe string.

To prepare the pipes for welding, the ends are bevelled to make them exactly the right shape to be fitted together.The inside of the pipe is then cleaned using compressed air before it is conveyed to the double-joint welding station.

The prepared double-joints are now joined to the end of the pipeline in a semi-automatic welding process. Qualified welders oversee each of the steps to ensure that welding procedures meet Nord Stream’s and authority approved quality standards.

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pipElAyiNG pROcESS

Pipelaying Process

EdgeBevel

WeldUltrasonic

Rays

Heat Weld

UltrasonicRays

PolyurethaneFoam

Former

Pipe Cross section

Pipelaying Process

EdgeBevel

WeldUltrasonic

Rays

Heat Weld

UltrasonicRays

PolyurethaneFoam

Former

Pipe Cross section

Pipelaying Process

EdgeBevel

WeldUltrasonic

Rays

Heat Weld

UltrasonicRays

PolyurethaneFoam

Former

Pipe Cross section

Pipelaying Process

EdgeBevel

WeldUltrasonic

Rays

Heat Weld

UltrasonicRays

PolyurethaneFoam

Former

Pipe Cross section

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At the double-joint welding station, two bevelled, 12-metre pipe joints are aligned and welded together to create a double-joint segment measuring 24 metres. These double-joint sections will later be connected to the main pipe string.

The weld of the double-joint that has been welded onto the main pipeline also undergoes ultrasonic testing at another non-destructive testing station. Any unacceptable flaws will be repaired, and the weld rescanned so that it meets international quality standards.

The double-joint is moved to the non-destructive testing station where every millimetre of the weld undergoes ultrasonic testing to detect any unacceptable flaws. If required, the defect will be repaired and the weld rescanned to meet international quality standards.

Once the weld is confirmed acceptable, a corrosionresistant, heat-shrink sleeve is applied around its entire circumference. Then, polyurethane foam is poured into a mould surrounding the weld area. This foam hardens, providing further protection.

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Pipelaying Process

EdgeBevel

WeldUltrasonic

Rays

Heat Weld

UltrasonicRays

PolyurethaneFoam

Former

Pipe Cross section

Pipelaying Process

EdgeBevel

WeldUltrasonic

Rays

Heat Weld

UltrasonicRays

PolyurethaneFoam

Former

Pipe Cross section

Pipelaying Process

EdgeBevel

WeldUltrasonic

Rays

Heat Weld

UltrasonicRays

PolyurethaneFoam

Former

Pipe Cross section

Pipelaying Process

EdgeBevel

WeldUltrasonic

Rays

Heat Weld

UltrasonicRays

PolyurethaneFoam

Former

Pipe Cross section

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kNOw-hOw, ExPERTISE, RESEARch, INvESTMENTS, INNOvATION, cOURAGE. A GREAT NUMBER Of dIvERSE RESOURcES cOMING TOGEThER IN A SINGlE PROjEcT, wITh UNPREcEdENTEd RESUlTS.

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Nord Stream is a project that has broken barriers and records, in terms of those already achieved and those expected in terms of results in the coming years thanks to closer relations between Europe and Russia. But the numbers are only the outward symbols of the huge pool of Saipem resources: know-how, expertise, research, investments, innovation and courage. A human value without precedence, going beyond the contractual value of 2.2 Billion Euros.

ThE lONGEST ANd lARGEST cAPAcITY TRUNklINE IN ThE wORld•2 lines of pipe, each 1,224 km long.•55 billion cubic metres per year - overall

throughput.

INdIvIdUAl PIPES•Diameter 1.4 m•Length 12.2 m•Individual weight ~ 25 t•Total weight 5,000,000 t

OPTIMUM POwER ANd ENERGY EffIcIENcY•50,000 t of materials lifted per day.•8 km of pipes laid per day

(Castoro Sei + Solitaire).•Continuous laying for over a year without

interruptions with Castoro Sei.

AN OuTSizE pROjEcTOf huGE STRATEGic vAluE

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Illustrations & Photoscourtesy of Nord Stream

PhotosThomas Eugster and Saipem

People, Skills, Equipment.

01.2013

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