U.S. based oil companies like Triple Diamond Energy Corp. understand the dilemmas countries face when they are forced to rely on foreign oil. This is one of the reasons Triple Diamond Energy Corp. takes pride in producing oil for the nation right here at home. One example of a country that currently must rely almost entirely on foreign oil is the United Kingdom.

The U.K.’s Dependence of Foreign Oil

The United Kingdom is forced to import an incredibly large amount of natural gas from neighboring countries in order to provide its citizens with a clean burning source of fuel for residential and commercial use. 

The primary reason that the United Kingdom is forced to depend heavily on foreign corporations is because of extremely small land mass and natural resources that cannot adequately supply its needs.  In order to get an adequate supply of natural gas, the United Kingdom has recently made a trade agreement with Norway from the Norwegian reserves located under the sea.

Piping Gas from Norway to the U.K.

Norsk Hydro, a major Norwegian oil company, came up with the incredible plan of connecting their large, underwater, gas field of Ormen Lange to various oil refining and processing plants located in Britain.  The pipeline construction that the company proposed would be able to carry 20% of all Britain’s natural gas needs each year.  This source of natural gas, if estimates are correct, would last Britain for the next forty years.  The large reward for the United Kingdom justified the massive construction effort.

A Pipeline Built with Advanced Technology

Since some of the work necessary to construct the pipeline would take place miles beneath the sea’s surface in the icy cold Baltic Sea. Building the pipeline would require at least two highly advanced remote control robots.  These robots would be used to perform the duties required to excavate the ocean floor before piping could actually begin. 

Only robots are able to complete this duty because the frigid temperatures and enormous pressure would kill any human not incased in a mini-sub.  While mini subs are available, most companies experienced with underwater excavation will not risk human lives or waste human energies on work that can be accomplished by robots.

The pipelines were assembled above the surface using two of the world’s largest pipe laying ships.  These two enormous ships had to work together assembling pipes and laying them on the floor of the ocean.  In the end, 746 miles of pipe were implemented and the entire project cost over three billion dollars. 

When the pipeline officially opened in 2006, the world saw that the enormous investment was worth it.  The amazing Langeled Pipeline impressed the Triple Diamond Energy Corp. and other major natural gas supplies.  It contains approximately 70 billion cubic feet of natural gas and currently supplies one fifth of the Britain’s entire natural gas needs.