Pipelines and platforms

Pipelines

Gas from Norway is used for cooking, heating, transportation, and electricity production for millions of Europeans. Norwegian gas accounts for 30 percent of the EU’s gas imports and 25 percent of the UK’s imports.

The gas reaches Europe through a transport system with 8600 kilometers of thick steel pipes. The first pipeline was laid in 1977. Over more than 45 years, a network of pipelines has developed. Now, gas is exported from more than 60 fields to markets in Europe through seabed pipelines.

The pipeline network is the most extensive in the world and makes Norway one of the largest exporters of gas. Gas exports from Norway amount to around 560 billion kroner annually (2024 figures).

The pipeline network has required large investments and advanced engineering. The pipelines span long distances and great ocean depths, down to 1300 meters deep. From one of the northernmost fields in the pipeline network, Norne, the gas takes five days to travel the nearly 1500 kilometers to Germany.

Risers / Platforms

The Draupner E and S platforms are located in the southern part of the North Sea. The platforms serve as a hub in the pipeline network that transports Norwegian gas to Europe. Their primary functions are to blend sales gas from different sources and export the mixed gas at specified pressure, volume, and gas quality at the receiving end.