Storm Cuts Norwegian Gas Exports

Severe weather conditions have cut supply from two of Norway's largest gas plants, reducing usual gas supplies to Europe, in particular to the United Kingdom.

Supply was beginning to return to normal today after the Atlantic storm Dagmar on the North Sea forced the offshore Ormen Lange field's gas processing plant to shutdown for the whole of Monday.

A second gas processing plant, Kollsnes, has restarted normal operations today after being forced to close twice on Monday. 

"Kollsnes is increasing,"a spokesperson for North Sea infrastructure operator Gassco said. "All compressors (are) running."

The two gas fields supply a large amount of Norway's gas export, with Ormen Lange supplying up to 20 per cent of Britain's daily gas needs. Reuters news agency reported that gas imports to the UK fell to about 24 million cubic metres per day on Tuesday at 6:00 (GMT) and held there for two hours, following a peak of 33 million cubic metres per day overnight. The Ormen Lange plant typically supplies 60 million cubic metres of gas per day to the United Kingdom through the Langeled pipeline.

Kollsnes, which was first forced to close on Christmas day, supplies around 143 million standard cubic metres of gas per day.