Rosebank ‘progressing well’ as gas pipeline work to begin
WORK on the gas export pipeline for the Rosebank development north west of Shetland looks set to take place in the near future.
Work can continue on the project despite a recent court ruling which means the UK Government will have to re-consider the development’s approval.
A spokesperson for developer Equinor said this week that the Rosebank oil and gas project is “progressing according to plan”.
A notice has been issued to mariners that multiple vessels are expected to carry out work on Rosebank’s gas export pipeline from 7 April until the end of August.
This will include “ROV survey, boulder clearance, pipelay, trenching and pipe burying operations”.
While oil will bypass Shetland, gas from Rosebank will go through a new export pipeline to the existing West of Shetland pipeline system.
Equinor said the gas will go through BP’s sweetening facility at Sullom Voe Terminal before heading into a new crossover pipeline. It will then go into the existing SIRGE pipeline before eventually finishing up at the St Fergus terminal on the Scottish mainland.
The court ruling, issued in January, quashed decisions from the government to approve the Jackdaw and Rosebank developments, made in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
The projects – which have not yet begun producing oil and gas – will have to be reconsidered and take into account the emissions which would result from burning the oil and gas produced from the fields.
But Lord Ericht suspended the “reduction” on the decision until a fresh decision has been reached.
This enables the oil and gas developers to continue working on the projects up to that point.
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The Rosebank development – estimated to be the largest undeveloped field in the UK continental shelf – is criticised by environmental campaigners who say the oil should not be extracted.
Director of campaign group Uplift, Tessa Khan, said after January’s court ruling that “Rosebank is a disaster for the climate and will do next to nothing to create the prosperity and stability that the UK needs”.
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