Dutch surveyor Fugro will be carrying out a comprehensive ground investigation for a new CO2 highway, off the coast of Belgium.
The contract is part of a 1,000-kilometre-long planned pipeline by Equinor to transport CO2 between mainland Europe and Norway. The pipeline is targeted to come onstream in 2030.
The pipeline is planned to start from CO2 hubs in Zeebrugge and Dunkirk connected to storage wells at the Norwegian continental shelf. Fugro’s geotechnical work is part of the maturation of the project ahead of a potential investment decision.
The investigation is being carried out by WaveWalker, Fugro’s liveaboard jackup platform. These kinds of units are ideally suited for projects in shallow waters like those near Zeebrugge.
The jackup can operate in a range of weather conditions, allowing Fugro to mobilise on the project in the winter of 2024. The full ground investigation scope includes geotechnical borehole drilling, high-quality sampling, and downhole cone penetration tests.
The ground investigation will provide Equinor with insights for the development of the landfall, and for deep pipeline burial under the Scheur ship channel, which are vital to ensure the safe and efficient installation of the CO2 pipeline.
This contract award comes off the back of the successful marine geotechnical campaigns earlier this year. Two vessels were deployed in August. The Fugro Galaxy performed CPT and vibrocore sampling along the CO2 highway route while the Fugro Meridian then took over to complete the deepwater sections.
