Saipem’s Giant Pipelay Ship Castorone Starts Work Off Darwin

Casterone pipelay vessel, image: INPEX

Saipem’s deepwater pipelay installation vessel Castorone commenced laying the remaining 718 kilometer section of 42-inch pipe last week, according to INPEX, the Japanese exploration and production company.  This subsea pipeline, which will measure 889 kilometers long once fully installed at the end of this year, will support gas export from the Ichthys LNG Project and will be the longest such pipeline in the southern hemisphere and the 5th longest in the world.

The initial 164 kilometer shallow-water pipelay section was completed by Saipem’s semi-submersible SEMAC-1.

“Castorone starting work means we are now a major step closer to physically connecting our onshore LNG facilities to the Ichthys Field, where our offshore facilities will be moored for the 40-plus year life of the Project,” commented Ichthys LNG Project Offshore Director Claude Cahuzac.

“A significant amount of work has been safely completed to get to this stage of pipeline installation.

“This includes a range of activities in and around Darwin Harbour such as dredging, landfall civil works, rock quarrying and transportation, and marine cable crossings.”

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