Stockton Helps Secure the UK’s Energy Needs with Gas Pipeline Installation

Author
Gearoid O’Connell, Director
4 October 2025

The Tolmount gas field is a natural gas reservoir and production facility located in the UK sector of the southern North Sea, approximately 36 km east of Flamborough Head, Yorkshire. The Easington Gas Terminal is a crucial onshore processing facility that receives, processes, and exports natural gas from North Sea fields including Tolmount.

STOCKTON GROUP was contracted by energy and offshore engineering leader Saipem to carry out the onshore and intertidal works for the Tolmount Area Development Project, with a gas pipeline installation from the offshore field to the tie-in point within the Easington Gas Terminal.

The machinery we used
Project summary
Pipeline installation
Excavation
Decor Stockton Helps Secure the UK’s Energy Needs with Gas Pipeline Installation
GAS PIPE LANDFALL

GAS PIPE LANDFALL

A gas pipe landfall is the transition point where a subsea pipeline emerges from the seabed and connects to an onshore gas terminal.

Trenchless methods are indispensable for securing gas pipe landfalls, involving drilling a pilot hole then enlarging it to pull or push pre-assembled pipes through the ground.

Project Summary

Landfall of a gas pipeline
Over 30,000m³ of earth moved to facilitate access to the site
197m long cofferdam constructed into the intertidal zones of the North Sea
550 tonne linear winch used to pull 3km of pipe
20,000 m³ of earth was excavated to provide beach access

Project Breakdown

20"
Gas export pipeline

The Tolmount pipeline system comprises a 20” gas export pipeline 

3"
Piggyback methanol pipeline

The system also features a 3” piggyback methanol pipeline 

197m
Long cofferdam

197m long cofferdam constructed into the intertidal zones of the North Sea 

20,000 m³
Of earth excavated

20,000 m³ of earth was excavated to provide beach access 

Quote Author

“Stockton proved again why it is the contractor of choice for landfalls. A project in planning for many years, the gas pipeline installation was completed on time using a mixture of established traditional techniques and modern construction philosophies, helping to secure the UK’s future energy needs.” 

Stuart Stephens Director of Special Projects

PIPELINE INSTALLATION

To facilitate pipeline installation from offshore to the tie-in point within the terminal, the permanent construction of a shaft and tunnel was required along with a temporary cofferdam and nearshore dredging activities. Stockton was also responsible for the onshore civil works and cofferdam construction. 

The scope of work involved project management, cofferdam and earthworks design, and site preparation and surveying. It also involved the construction of haul roads from the cliff top to the cofferdam and from the public road to the winch location, coastal erosion mitigation, cofferdam construction and excavation, winch back anchor installation, and finally, backfilling and site reinstatement. 

 

Excavation and materials involved 

The project involved excavating over 20,000 m³ of earth to provide beach access, installing more than 500 linear metres of sheet piling, and utilising a winch with a 550-tonne pull capacity to facilitate pipeline installation into the cofferdam and tunnel. 

 

Securing the UK’s energy needs 

Easington Gas Terminal has been one of the UK’s main sites for receiving and processing natural gas since 1967, with up to one third of the UK’s total gas supply entering via the site. 

The gas pipeline installation project has secured this supply, extending Easington’s operational life and function as a vital energy gateway for the UK. 

PIPELINE INSTALLATION

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