Start-up of major Linde project begins - Hammerfest LNG is brought on
stream
Munich, 24 September 2007 - Production of liquefied natural gas (LNG)
has started from Europe's largest LNG plant at Melkøya island near
Hammerfest, Norway. This was announced by Norwegian oil and gas
company Statoil ASA, the operator of the Snøhvit gas field in the
Barents Sea. Linde has been responsible for engineering, procurement
and construction assistance of the plant for the last five and a half
years. The entire contract is worth approximately EUR 900 million
for Linde.
"Everyone involved in this technological pioneer work is delighted
that operations can now begin", said Dr. Aldo Belloni, member of the
Executive Board of Linde AG. "Both from a technical as well as from
a strategic point of view, Melkøya is a valuable beacon project for
Linde."
The gas is delivered to the plant through a 143 km long subsea
pipeline from production wells located on the seabed 300 metres below
the sea level. The feed gas first flows through a pipe assembly
called slug catcher where gas, condensate, water and glycol are
separated. The gas stream is further treated to eliminate CO2, water
and mercury prior to entering the liquefaction process. The LNG is
then transferred to storage tanks awaiting transport by LNG tankers
to customers in USA and Europe. The CO2 separated from the wells
stream is compressed and transported back to the Snøhvit field via
pipeline, where it is injected in a separate reservoir for storage,
thus minimising the emission of CO2 from the plant. The LNG process
plant at Melkøya is also the world's most energy efficient plant of
its kind.
The Linde Group is a world-leading industrial gases, medical gases
and engineering company with around 49,000 employees working in more
than 70 countries worldwide. Following the acquisition of The BOC
Group plc, the company has gases and engineering sales of around 12
billion euro per annum. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared
towards earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its
international business with forward-looking products and services.
For more information, please visit The Linde Group online at
http://www.linde.com.
Further information:
Press
Stefan Metz
Tel.: +49 89 35757-1322
Investor Relations
Thomas Eisenlohr
Tel.: +49 89 35757-1330
