50 nations working together 

Terje Uthus, responsible for the construction of the processing plant, with some of the more than 20 000 women and men who built the plant. 

(Foto: StatoilHydro)

When the first gas molecules begin to flow into the processing plant at Aukra, they will find everything in order. From day one they will be managed by employees who have widespread experience of running the plant, and who knew many years ago what the plant would look like. And who are familiar with every single nook and cranny.
 
Advanced three-dimensional data modelling – so-called 3D CAD – has allowed us to become acquainted with the plant down to the smallest detail. We know the swing radiuses on the cranes, the distances between the installations, the size of the tanks.
 
The operators have trained in simulators that are so realistic that they will not notice the difference when they arrive at work. Because the control room in which they trained is identical, the information they received is identical and the software they were working with is identical.
 
That means that everything will go smoothly when gas, water and condensate filter into the slug catcher, the first stop on the journey through the processing plant. 12 minutes later, the job is done, when the purified and compressed gas sets out on its long journey to England’s east coast.
 
“Thorough planning,” is Terje Uthus’ initial response when asked what has been the most important success criterion in the development of the land-based facility on Aukra. Since the first turn of the shovel at Nyhamna in April 2004, he has been responsible for the development of the processing plant.
 
The major challenge is the actual size of the shore facility, which makes it demanding in terms of project management. A large area is being developed. Countless people have transported, bolted iron, moulded, assembled. A huge number of components have been brought in and put together. Equipment has been produced at over twenty locations in Europe – and the plant was partly designed in India.
 
Ensuring that everything goes to plan, all the thousands of large and small tasks, has been the major challenge in the construction of the shore facility. With up to 3,500 men and women at work at the same time, everything has to flow smoothly, so that you do not risk suddenly having 200 carpenters who cannot get started on the shuttering work because the scaffolding has not yet been erected, for example. The logistics have to run like clockwork.