courtesy Hydro

Norwegian oil company Hydro (StatoilHydro on Oct. 1) began pumping natural gas from its “long-offset”, sub-sea to shore gas field Ormen Lange Thursday, the company could trumpet Thursday.

The field’s throughput to Easington in England will make Norway the world’s second-biggest gas exporter in the world. Norway exports 85 bcm of natural gas a year, a figure that will rise to 120 bcm when Ormen Lange reaches plateau production in 2010.

“Fluctuating volumes” are expected until an inaugral ceremony on 6 October 2007, as production is tested.Maximum daily exports from the Ormen Lange field will amount to 70 million cubic meters of gas and 50,000 barrels of condensate.

Ten years in the making, the development was okayed by the Norwegian Parliament on 2 April 2004 and cost NOK50 billion. Hydro is joined at Ormen Lange by Shell, state entity Petoro, Statoil, DONG and ExxonMobil