Big launch for pigging tool

A pig launcher engineered and manufactured by the Jotne Group is vital for the maintenance of the gas pipeline system on the seabed off the Norwegian coast. The pig launcher is part of the Åsgard Export Riser Base (ERB) and Åsgard Transport, an extensive system of gas pipelines built by Statoil.

The pig launcher does just that. It launches "pigs", small units that clean and inspect the pipes, as they travel through the pipelines. Known as multidimensional pigging tools (MDPT), these pigs start in 28" pipes and can expand to 42". Their speed is maintained by means of pressure differences so that they can travel along several hundred kilometers of pipeline.

According to Statoil experts, this is the world's largest subsea pig launcher. It weighs 42 tons and is 9 meters long. The pig launcher is a permanent facility. The Jotne Group has also delivered a pig receiver for the receipt of a "dewatering train", a series of pigs separated by liquid plugs of glycol. The pig receiver has been used only once. It weighs a total of 42 tons including the pigs, glycol and lifting frame.

Several Jotne Group companies have participated in these deliveries.