Independent Oil and Gas Confirms Thames Pipeline Integrity

Independent Oil and Gas (LSE:IOG), has released an update on operations to confirm the integrity of the Thames pipeline – a key step in its Southern North Sea dual gas hub development project.

UK-based Independent Oil and Gas is an oil and gas exploration and production company with established interests in eight UK North Sea licences.

As quoted from the press release:

Highlights:

• Cut section analysis confirms that the offshore section of the pipeline is in excellent condition.
• Inspection of the Bacton end of the pipeline is planned in the coming weeks to inform a planned elevated pressure hydrotest which will complete integrity confirmation.
• Further intelligent pig run now not expected to be required until shortly before first gas.
• FID now targeted for end September 2018.
• Updated Corporate Presentation added to website.

Pipeline Integrity Confirmation

Further to the announcement made by the company on June 5, 2018, IOG has been in detailed consultations with regulatory authorities on the necessary steps to re-commission the Thames pipeline.  Analysis undertaken by Oilfield Testing Services (OTS) on behalf of IOG of the three 12-metre sections retrieved from the 60km offshore point during offshore operations in May 2018 has enabled a recalibration of the predicted internal corrosion. This shows the pipeline’s condition can be considered practically ‘as new’.

Under the new pipeline integrity confirmation plan, IOG will run a crawler based measurement device from the Bacton terminal to approximately 1km offshore to assess the line’s internal condition.  This is the section that, if any, would have been at a higher risk of degradation since decommissioning in 2015.  Analysis of this data, along with the new corrosion baseline, will allow the company to determine the safe maximum pressure of the subsequent 24-hour hydrotest that is required under the Pipeline Code.  These operations are expected to occur during July and August 2018.

“We are now implementing an optimized programme to provide full and conclusive confirmation of the integrity of the Thames pipeline.  Thanks to some excellent work by the IOG team and support of the regulatory authorities, this does not require an intelligent pig re-run in the short term.  This has helped to protect our timeline to FID which in turn ensures that we keep the overall project on schedule to hit First Gas in late 2019,”Andrew Hockey, CEO of IOG said.

Click here to read the full press release