Vallourec supports customer Butting with backing pipes for key North Sea project
With an estimated 700 million barrels of oil equivalent, Yggdrasil is an important Norwegian North Sea oil development set to begin production in 2027. The project is a high priority for Vallourec, which is supporting mechanically lined pipes (MLP) supplier Butting by delivering backing pipes that are commissioned and will be installed by Subsea7 on the project. The long-time partnership between Vallourec and Butting is helping ensure the high-performance results needed on this crucial project.
The Yggdrasil project, developed by operator Aker BP along with partners Equinor and Orlen Upstream Norway, is a major development comprising 10 fields with 57 wells. One of the core license groups in Yggdrasil is named Hugin, where the majority of the 10,000 metric tons of Vallourec backing pipe have been allocated. One of the core fields is named Hugin, where the majority of the 10,000 metric tons of Vallourec backing pipe have been allocated. These DNV SMLS 450 grade carbon pipes have a diameter of 321.6 mm, with varying wall thicknesses depending on the project’s need.
“Butting’s innovative GluBi® pipes require tight backing pipe tolerances, especially in terms of length,” says Andrea Gersthagen, Vallourec Sales Manager, who has worked on the Butting account since 2023. “And we knew from past projects with Butting that we needed to deliver backing pipes that presented a smooth surface, which is of the utmost importance when you’re lining up the backing pipe during the manufacturing of the GluBi® pipes.”
Developed in 2015 and DNV-certified in 2019 for uncoated line pipe applications, Butting’s GluBi® pipe is a glue-bonded, mechanically lined pipe designed for reel-lay installation. It eliminates the need for additional anti-wrinkling measures during laying, which means no internal water pressure and no increase in thickness of the CRA liner needed. Vallourec’s pipes are specifically engineered and manufactured to withstand the stresses of the laying technique, thus ensuring performance and reliability from the mill to the seabed.
Brazil’s expertise on display
The pipes were produced in Vallourec’s VSB Jeceaba mill in Brazil, a first in the 20-year partnership between Butting and Vallourec. Previously, products had been manufactured out of Vallourec’s Dusseldorf-Rath plant in Germany, which closed at the end of 2023. “It’s really a success story for us,” Andrea says. “The complete transfer of knowledge from our German plant to our facility in Brazil is really evident with this Yggdrasil project.”
The transition to the Jeceaba mill was made possible thanks to the Group’s substantial investments into the entire production facility. With certifications in all key industrial standards such as ISO, API and DNV, VSB Jeceaba produces best-in-class seamless pipes, both in terms of steel quality and dimensional tolerance.
The mill’s state-of-the-art seamless pipe rolling technology ensures precision, consistency and efficiency. “Our MLP backing pipes are a natural choice for the most stringent applications,” Andrea says. “The project showcases how Vallourec pipes pair perfectly with Butting’s GluBi® pipes, which are the most advanced MLP technology on the market.”
A study in sustainability
Every step of the production process at VSB Jeceaba is designed to meet the highest industry standards while supporting Vallourec’s broader sustainability initiatives across all VSB facilities. The VSB Jeceaba mill has a carbon footprint that is well below the sector average. It is certified at 1.1 metric tons of CO2 per metric ton of line pipe produced, while the industry average is 2 metric tons. This is due largely to the use of a low-carbon electricity mix, recycled scrap for steel production, and a blast furnace that uses biomass charcoal instead of fossil coal. Vallourec Brazil also owns a 164,400-hectare eucalyptus forest which acts as a carbon sink
Coordinating logistics is key
With the shift to production in Brazil, Vallourec paid extra special attention to transport logistics, establishing a new North Sea logistics route to streamline delivery. Throughout the process, Vallourec’s Brazil- and Europe-based teams held meetings and conducted brainstorming sessions to make the product transport as smooth as possible. Sales representatives and technical engineers worked with the transport company to overcome any obstacles that might have impacted delivery.
“Shipping the pipes from Brazil to Germany has proven to be an easy freight route,” Andrea says. “The pipes are well protected by end caps, as they are for any type of premium application that we ship across the Atlantic. We also coordinated constantly between our teams and the transport company, making sure all regulations were followed. Every part of the supply chain has to be in sync. We partnered with Butting in monitoring the process to ensure our products’ safety and quality. We’re also taking lessons learned forward for the next projects now in the works. We’re committed to working closely with our customers and logistics partners to ensure even smoother execution for future shipments.”
Building a pipeline to the world
The North Sea region will remain a strategic market for Vallourec, and the relationship with Butting is set to get stronger in the near future. Following on the heels of the North Sea project, Vallourec and Butting are teaming up again this year on the Mero 3 HISEP project for Petrobras off the coast of Brazil.
With many projects in the works, Vallourec is demonstrating its ability to partner with customers all over the world. “Our successful delivery of high-quality carbon steel pipes for Butting’s GluBi® production underscores our commitment to excellence and innovation,” Andrea says. “We’ll continue to leverage our expertise and establish new logistics routes to ensure timely and efficient delivery and meet the stringent quality standards our customers require.”
