Constructing Mammoth Underwater Gas Pipeline | Building The Biggest | Spark

Building the longest underwater pipeline is no mean feat, but these engineers pulled it off. Take an exclusive look under the ocean and discover the trials and tribulations of the Langeled pipeline. Before the completion of the Nord Stream pipeline, it was the longest subsea pipeline in the world.
It's construction like you've never seen it before! Building the Biggest is an innovative six-part series capturing the most ambitious building projects shaping our world today. From pipelines and diamond mines to the International Space Station and the Singapore subway system, you meet with the masters of construction who make the seemingly impossible a practical reality.
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[@jefffaulkner8954]

I was a pipeline welder in the 1970’s, I love this documentary, it’s amazing how technology has evolved in leaps and bounds since my days although the principles are pretty much the same

[@Joey4rox]

What I found delightful about this documentary is the range and breadth of the accents spoken by the workers in this project. There's Norwegian, Scottish, British, US gulf coast southern, Arabic, and Swiss. This range reflects the regions most impacted by off-shore oil and gas industry.

[@GOAT_GOATERSON]

And Dutch

[@Kalumbatsch]

Well it's not like working 9 to 5 in the local pipeline industry is an option.

[@bradr1913]

Excellent wow. I'm retired 33 years gas pipeliner, distributors all aspects. I just love this documentary. Good job guys. Unbelievable people in our world Good people.

[@jamescosta1174]

Right on, same

[@lindasapiecha2515]

😊👍

[@tylerhancock1758]

Pull some strings and get me a job 😂😂

[@justinw7323]

I wonder how many people complained to you about you coming on their days or vacation off

[@leroywarner7354]

Be prepared battery back up so my power wire a little at a time you can do that you can’t eat a whole elephant one bite by the time you gonna come

[@user-ih8mf5ey4p]

This is incredible work. Pipelaying at its most extreme. The company I work for lays pipe in the ground. Laying huge, 21 ton, 12 metre sections on the seabed is really impressive. What a great documentary. 5 stars from me.

[@lawrencey0y]

The amount of engineering and work that goes into this project is impressive.

[@tayyc6074]

FACTS.. Freaking amazing

[@getonthecrossanddontlookba5004]

Repent to Jesus Christ “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” ‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

[@tinto278]

crazy they blew it up?

[@dragonwalsh100]

@@tinto278 Wrong pipeline. This is not NORDSTREAM #2. This is farther north. NORDSTREAM #2 is south of Sweden, this pipeline runs north of Sweden on the other side of Norway.

[@mvd4436]

And then the US goes and blows it up

[@aBradApple]

I feel compelled to say that I’m impressed with the level of detail attended to laying such a large pipe. I guess its not the process that differs so much as the danger of the work and the inability to correct any mistakes that might be made. Much respect for our oceaneering crews.

[@ivanronin8209]

I think Russia will make BOOM '' on This Pipe line !!! lol The New Nuclear Torpedoes Poseidon are Ready to be tested !!! lol

[@jhamm6549]

yeah this is white privilege and the patriarchy hard at work..... lol

[@raheemallen2003]

📢 Alert A Sunday Law will be The Mark Of The Beast when enforce by law, Those that keep Gods seventh day sabbath will be prohibited from buying and sell and persecuted. Jesus is coming are you ready?

[@jonka1]

So very welcome that the producers did not fill the video with relentless fake dramas to try and hold onto the viewer's attention span. An enjoyable and relaxed look at this enormous task.

[@johnway8702]

Agreed x2.

[@glennmilestrucking868]

@@johnway8702 ⁹

[@goldreserve]

Intro: 5000 men are locked in a race against time ...

[@TempoDrift1480]

This is the comment I was looking for.

[@treefiddy5673]

Been building pipelines for 14 years nothing relaxing about it lol

[@Brice23]

Even while watching the process of this work being done it is a struggle for me to suspend my disbelief enough to let myself think that they are actually pulling this massive work off. Multiple kilometers of such massive pipe prepped, welded, sealed, and laid per day. Impressive is certainly a gross understatement.

[@dinshawmuncherjee5123]

Mind-boggling Just to conceive this project and then to train and coordinate the effort of so many different teams. Simply fantastic.

[@trumanhw]

Though, I'd prefer to learnt about the effects cancelling the keystone pipeline & terminating all US permits to extract on Fed Land on Jan 20., 2021

[@RedEyeFlyt]

It takes the phrase “Laying pipe” to a different level!

[@kylegreaves1308]

Are you an AMS discipile?

[@Robert_McGarry_Poems]

That's what she said... 😲

[@MNDashcam]

That pipe is always wet

[@molajat6133]

🤣🤣🤣

[@glenfordburrell2133]

You are definitely ahead of the game Young man. Are you American?

[@TuckaBuck89]

I am so proud of mankind. We have developed over millennia that we can do things such as this. These people who created the machines, the programs, and now guide the machines are examples of the best and the brightest.

[@Doozy95]

I'm proud of you, John H.

[@willemhaifetz-chen1588]

You are right, this how we as mankind win.

[@willemhaifetz-chen1588]

@Simard jean We as mankind are thriving because of it. Without it, you cannot type any message. We will find and execute ways soon to solve all important problems, that's what we do.

[@Roc-Righteous]

I agree, but God gave the resources. Wonderful machines indeed.

[@chloehennessey6813]

@Simard jean If you truly believe that and yet you partake, freely of its bounty. Than you’re just virtue signaling on social media.

[@bartwarburg55]

Worked on the barge twice, when it was still LB 200. I’ll never forget Jimmy and how he consumed two whole grilled chickens for dinner almost each night.

[@optimisticfuture6808]

Jimmy needs to learn the diff between mils and mm. Lol

[@fokoleta]

🤣😂

[@jeffreyjones6239]

No wonder the ship needed 80,000 kilos of meat LoL

[@amnotthefather1518]

For this kinda job, you gotta eat.

[@badlandskid]

Hilarious 😂

[@skipd9164]

Today pipelines are constructed with many safety and construction advances. Old pipelines cannot even be compared to modern ones. Welds xrayed for flaws. Wrapped weld joints and complete pipeline. Environmental studies and built with the environment in mind. Corrosion monitored continually and kept from starting with cathodic protection. Regular inside devices travel threw the pipelines checking for wall thickness. Replacements should be quickly done. Pipelines if maintained properly should last well over 150 years. The people complaining about gas transmission lines don't have a clue about them. Also these types of pipelines will never have a small leak. Even a thin wall or small leak on a transmission line will rip the pipelines wide open. The smallest pinhole would tear the pipeline wide open and thats why they have massive corrosion and wear and tear monitoring. Then replacement procedures

[@skeeter8297]

put a hose clamp on it an call it a day

[@stephengile530]

Remember what the 'pig' looked like before and after going through to clean new pipe. Lot of years ago.

[@optimisticfuture6808]

@@stephengile530 in my day we used an actual pig with a rope tied around it’s feet. This is also where hog tied started

[@stephengile530]

@@optimisticfuture6808 LOL

[@HuAhad111]

And the titanic could never be sunk

[@marleyboy7732]

And I thought our land oil rigs & offshore rigs were pretty big.This is extremely impressive.Job well done brothers!

[@nakachinjah7240]

where is your land oil rig

[@raphaelchampagne6163]

I worked several seasons on the LB200. Amazing, Nothing else like her. History was made. Fine group of Tallented Pipeliners. Raphael C.

[@prakashtiwari8003]

Norway is certainly blessed with abundance of natural resources. Good luck to British people.

[@JoeVincenti]

Brought back many memories of my 3 years work in the North Sea in the 1970’s with Santa Fe International pipe laying and burying barges Choctaw and Cheerokee. My home and family for those turbulent years.

[@stephengile530]

I worked on both of those barges in the gulf in the early 1980's, had the honors of melting tar/sand to fill in between the concrete on the joints...LOL, then got moved over to working with the RVC's. Then spent a lot of time down in Brazil setting platforms using RCV's, at least until Santa Fe sold out to Kuwait.

[@skipd9164]

@BRENDA YARELI GUARDADO GONZALEZ Brenda whats with the Ps

[@larrywhited3070]

Regarding Santa Fe in the 1970s in the Gulf, you haven't lived until you have worked on the barge Kiowa. On one of my early jobs there as a diver I walked into the latrine and saw 5 toilets separated by inches between them and arranged in a semicircle. Two guys were sitting on adjacent toilets reading the same magazine. Being relatively modest, that almost ended my diving career. Stuck with it though. Never did get on the Choctaw, but I did set a platform off the Cherokee (as a diver I was the underwater eye for positioning the platform onto the guide). Spent many hours diving (including saturation) on the Tonkawa, Chickasaw, and the little workhorse the Sioux. Loved the diving itself and the pipeline construction, but the offshore environment was another matter.

[@brahmburgers]

Amazing technology and coordination. ... and nice to see crews working so professionally together.

[@dangenereux3362]

Loved watching the engineering that goes into the creations of mankind to make our world functional there lies the story.

[@towedarray7217]

This is some of the most interesting work anyone does on this planet. I love huge expensive projects but this is next-level. And I BET. I bet… there are secrets this industry holds. Big ones. Big capabilities that even the military doesn’t have. Saturation diving, cable laying and other seafloor tech is fascinating - but some of it is mindbending. Best example of mindbending tech are those crazy welding habitats (habitats, clamps etc) that are fastened over gas pipelines to fix problems in the line. What could go wrong? It’s only a live feed from a gas field which is pumped dry, pressurized and heated so that 2 workers can weld in a dry shirtsleeve environment. This industry has achieved so much in an already almost impossible environment in which to work. Some of the engineering behind it is right up there with space exploration.

[@bryannonya9769]

mindbending to you is normal to the rest of us.

[@d.bcooper2271]

Russia

[@marcinolszewski9275]

@@d.bcooper2271 not Russia...NWO

[@iteerrex8166]

"Where there's a will, there's way." Felt like the documentary was cut down form 2-3 hours down to 1.

[@couchrider6228]

The 24 hours that these guys welded and layed 51/2 kilometer of pipe which he said was their record everything had to flow seamlessly, very impressive. As a retired pipe inspector I know what it takes & these guys look to be some of the best.

[@bryannonya9769]

inspectors think they know but have no real idea.

[@couchrider6228]

@@bryannonya9769 who pissed in your cornflakes nonya

[@OmmerSyssel]

@@bryannonya9769 you have obviously no clue about the qualifications of inspectors in European offshore sector

[@johnbgoode847]

I worked for Santa Fe International(1977)as an electrician/tension machine operator on the Choctaw pipe lay barge in the Gulf of Mexico. 8 weeks out and 1 week in it was a tough job and an incredible adventure. Really cool to see it up close again.

[@johnbgoode847]

@Pommie I am from the USA... we had an International crew. Machinist's were Italian and the best. Master Electrician's were from Scotland... I worked under them... could not understand a word they said their accents were so strong. Me being from Texas played a part in that. It was the wild west off shore in those days. Went to work for J.Ray Mcdermott on a 1200 Ton Derrick Barge after Santa Fe went bust. We set sub-structures and installed the platforms. Total of 5 years offshore(single man) and would never do it any different.

[@Perception_]

I'm very impressed with how much pipe they are capable of putting down each day. Damn, that's a whole lotta hard work.

[@78686546677]

I am Site Engineer in Gas Pipeline laying project in India. I wish to get experience in laying underwater pipeline. This is another level.

[@adamnixon2886]

Okay anon

[@davidmaraisthecampfireguit2596]

So cool to see folks from all different countries working together here. Shows what amazing things can be done by talented humans working together as opposed to working against each other. Excellent video.

[@insaneindamembrane7961]

Im sure the quality is affected when ppl from all over the world get together

[@stopbigcon3764]

White countries

[@stopbigcon3764]

@@insaneindamembrane7961 that’s why only white countries work together. Plus we are the only race that had this level of thinking power. Others can be doctors and lawyers but only the white have the mental capacity first to imaging something this massive and second to design a system that builds and accomplishes the task

[@mremerald8586]

@@stopbigcon3764 blacks can’t swim so

[@nightone9720]

Being the Spider operator is the coolest job I've ever seen!

[@calenbolo]

the sheer scale of the operation is mind numbing, excellent preparation

[@cathodert7890]

The youtube algorithm has a cruel sense of humor

[@loginavoidence12]

if we were allowed to post pictures, i would've whipped up a shoop real quick of a blanket fort with american/canadians on the pipe, next to a crudely drawn "no euros allowed" sign. because you guys deserve only the best 👍

[@hawkbartril3016]

I wonder how long it lasts before it gets blown up. Remember Nordstream Brits, silly buggers

[@michaelsaldana6669]

@@IReallyCba The first time you were able and I didn’t have

[@rasharma7985]

🇧🇯 Q 😢😊

[@gurpreetjohal8271]

@@loginavoidence12😢😢😢😢p😮ppu ppppp P

[@webgomer]

Very nice documentary! As others have said, it's not bloated with filler crap and a lot of b-roll footage. Seeing this many professionals work together and looking like they really enjoy what they do makes me with I had chosen a different career path.

[@eMPee584]

Why, what kind of pipes are you laying currently?

[@billb7876]

@@eMPee584 I think he meant "filler crap" on the documentary, most of them are bloated with "timelines", "if this happened", "if this broke" dramatisations, its pathetic some of them tbh.

[@yashbish]

too good a documentary. very impressive. salute the planners engineers and workmen.

[@davidsharples4677]

When these guys are working in all stages, the Barge is continually moving forward. I worked on the Ekofisk in the 1970,s line a long time ago.

[@Chrissmills]

These guys deserve every single cent they get paid and more. Absolutely crazy work and engineering

[@ronbinkc4625]

GREAT video. Very informative. Had NO idea this has been done. Well done. Thanks.

[@Tinskipper]

Very cool as I had the opportunity to work on the DIII AKA Doublet #3 for General Atomic in La Jolla in Calif back in the mid to late 70's

[@gelheur8145]

This a must watch...knowledge is simply power... Genius minds...

[@rowlandadelagun-manwomanmy892]

Just watched this film again and I'm as impressed as the first time. The incredible efforts and indeed, genius of men, in constructing this pipeline, is truly beyond belief.

[@nowaay692]

Bad incel troll

[@getonthecrossanddontlookba5004]

Repent to Jesus Christ “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” ‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

[@waffleking6076]

'This is Jimmy Peacock, He's been in the business for over 21 years, and laid thousands of kilometers of pipe'. Best introduction ever.

[@SouthsideHardhead601]

Underrated 🤣🤣

[@captnodge]

Serious teamwork

[@frankjenkins6627]

Brilliant , So interesting to see something like this . Thankyou.

[@stephengile530]

41:30 loved riding the 'donut'. Closest thing to experiencing 'freefall' when going down.

[@aaronsalvesen4553]

Amazing the amount of work, natural resources and energy to harvest this energy!

[@deanledford5661]

Very impressed with the skill set. Kudo's gentlemen, ALL.

[@fokoleta]

One-word explanation. AMAZING!

[@andreleibbrandt7532]

Great viewing as I always get from Spark! Thanks guys!

[@SparkDocs]

Thanks André!

[@stevepashley795]

Great video, really interesting. Thank you

[@user-ne8zz8zo6b]

Perfectly welded, high quality steel tube, very good

[@davidhall1779]

What an amazing and impressive project. Wow!

[@jonlitch52]

Good interesting documetery, very enjoyable!

[@kenecee]

So many huge projects are being undertaken round the globe. This is one of the biggest I’ve seen.

[@rahelhailemariam9934]

yes except Africa where corruption is the only project that is ongoing

[@masumrana6469]

Ever I saw it was high technical works, which I learn a lots of things. Thanks for sharing such kind of videos, love from Bangladesh.

[@Rocket66380]

Love this documentary, great job ! I try to work on offshore rig on spar it would be great 😊 and seeing this motivate me to accomplish my wish thank you

[@wshtb]

You should do a documentary on how they managed to construct the pipeline while evading American sanctions. It was even more challenging.

[@commonsense31]

? This isn’t Nordstream 2 pipeline. Why would America be against Norway exporting gas to the UK?

[@scottdore8391]

Wrong pipeline I'd say

[@minyoung823]

Norway had laid a lot of policies so that the likes of US cant interfer nor take over in their oil industry. There was an interview abt it with Vox, when the gas was discovered in 1969 it was the first concern of the Norwegian govt, that these established foreign companies/countries in the oil industry would come in and take over and take the earnings out of Norway, so they took considerable measures that it wouldnt happen.

[@THEBOSS-vn2ky]

GOOD JOB KIDS. GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

[@vesawuoristo4162]

Very good , entertaining and interesting.

[@MrTimodon]

This wedling machine is crazy! No man can do it so good as this machine! I been welding since 1978 and still do! Waste compactors and stuff!

[@DrummerDelight]

Incredible technology in moving forward.

[@Debraj1978]

20:59 = Typical question, my manager asks me (in my field of work). And mostly, I give a super technical reason and save my day.

[@christopherjones512]

Great teconlgly

[@sigudakwesikwesi985]

All that work, and resources, for a mere 40 YEARS' worth of gas supply? Crazy, is it not?

[@kamuconkamucon8543]

What a job,very technical!

[@mohmedahmed477]

This is abasulty an engineering from another level 🔥🔥🔥

[@QueenDaenerysTargaryen]

Excellent💯👍👏 documentary👍

[@kennethdarby8941]

The amount that the pipes bends is incredible

[@larrywhited3070]

My initial comment was deleted as a stand-alone one, maybe this slightly modified one will remain under Kenneth's: For those of you who find this kind of technology & construction interesting, check out the CSO Deep Blue. There is a brief 2016 KZbin video available that provides a look at this unique (2001) pipe lay vessel. I was one of the inspectors for a related 2003 project in the Gulf of Mexico. The Deep Blue can lay up to 18" rigid pipe with 1" wall thickness- (180 lbs/ft)--with this incredibly being done by coiling up the land-welded pipe onto large diameter reels/spools within/on the vessel to achieve maximum welding efficiency first on land. I cannot remember how many miles of 18" steel pipe (maximum diameter for spooling) can be laid in a single continuous pass, but I'm thinking it might have been in excess of 8 miles. (I can't find the specifications, but the spools can hold 5,500T weight). When this rigid steel pipe is laid offshore it is then run over another large reel to introduce a reverse bend to counter the forced bend that was required for initial spooling for vessel onboard storage. Amazing.

[@DonChimbo95]

This is true engineering, thank you for the video, was great!!!

[@garlandremingtoniii1338]

All of this is one helluva 🏭 INDUSTRIAL 🦺 CONSTRUCTION 🏗 PROJECT!! 🚧

[@toadinthehole8085]

It amazes me how the weld's can take all that stress, top job fellas.

[@thrasherwp9432]

a properly laid weld is stronger than the steel pipe being welded due to extra alloys being added in the welding process. the pipe will break before the weld in most all cases

[@stevewilson9436]

It's the greatest technical engineering operation. This is precision .

[@dossube]

It's amazing how challenging and dangerous the work that engineers and trade workers do to give the world everything it needs, from plastic materials to gasoline and airplane.

[@johnbgoode847]

The Engineers NEVER get close to the dangerous aspects of this work. They quietly take their notes while the welders, riggers, electrician's, divers, crane operators, and many other hands on skills take all the risks and really should be paid more.

[@MyWorld-ks8pe]

Waw....i imagine if this project done in my own state....its genarate skills and techology....human resources and wealth to whole country...!! Very impressive documentary.....!!

[@davedunn4285]

Teamwork is the key

[@andrew.r.lukasik]

10:20 What an amazing machine; underwater excavator.

[@phatphap_taitam]

What I found delightful about this documentary is the range and breadth of the accents spoken by the workers in this project.

[@chip-fftt5493]

You’re very very impressive and I thought I was genius by installing sprinkler pipe in my backyard

[@Salmon_Rush_Die]

Uncle Sam: "Nice pipe ya got there... Be a shame if somebody blew it up."

[@wayneallen2047]

Would love to be on a project like that

[@vondahe]

Anyone else noticed the nervous ticks at 17:16? I wonder if that’s from being close to all those explosions.

[@kimberlystratton7585]

Damn! He gotta get paid extra for those ticks.

[@04SURE]

Amazing engineering

[@000swift1]

Definitely an interesting insight into an unseen world

[@drsmith4806]

Absolutely amazing what we can do today.

[@bmw730y5]

úžasný projekt 👍 kdy bude dokončen? Kdy začne plyn proudit do England?

[@jeffdady864]

What wounderful engineers, what man can do , fantastic .

[@marcguidry5744]

I've seen pipe yards like that here in southeast Louisiana.

[@westrnite]

Before Mars we should learn and love our oceans teachings.

[@bmell1252]

Really really good point.

[@peoplesperson2010]

We are building a pipeline to Mars. Duh

[@ktmsports]

Wow!!! So fascinating!! Amazing what goes on behind the scenes

[@chip-fftt5493]

These guys are very smart and brave Which usually doesn’t go together.

[@dyrnenorka]

The North Sea is one of the hardest sea to work on and one of the most dangerous sea in the world, with the greatest number of shipping accidents in the last 15 years

[@intoTheCosmos_]

this is so amazing, blows my mind

[@gordbeynon2703]

wonderful engineering and welding - you guuys are amazing

[@ltwxh2042]

Excellent engineering, brave and wise warrior

[@poly_hexamethyl]

1:33 Wow, how can something so thick and heavy as that pipe be so flexible and bend like that going over the side of the ship into the ocean?

[@michaelweyenberg6238]

Steel is ductile.

[@skindianu]

There's miles of underwater pipeline around the world like this

[@stephengile530]

With smaller pipe, without concrete covering, they can actually roll the pipe up on a spool and spool it off where needed. Worked on Santa Fe International's spool barge 'Apache' which did this with 16 inch pipe.

[@jesseiwamoto6612]

ductile iron

[@pete5137]

Go to 34:20

[@firposs]

Hard to fathom such an incredible project!

[@atlant2566]

These man are hard working man deserve a respect for sure.

[@frankfromupstateny3796]

Very F. Impressive! Imagine the understanding of math and physics in this/ with this crew!

[@OmmerSyssel]

This is practically skilled craftsmen and sailors, not theoretical guys...

[@hluaralteralte5565]

I want (like) to see, how they join the pipe under water but it can't 😔 Keep going Spark 👍

[@cohall46]

Very interesting - On the Spark site I seem to learn something new everyday. Thanks for sharing.

[@Kodakcompactdisc]

Brilliant documentary 👏👏👏

[@beyondblueyes68]

excellent docu.. i agree that it may have been shortened from 2 or 3 hours to 1..

[@tori_gundo_]

5:55 "he has laid thousands of kilometers of pipe"

[@IgnacioGonzalez-ve7ly]

😂😂👌👌

[@George_Ren]

A very informative and interesting documentary.

[@candrahutasoit7156]

very good.... keep putting safety and health first at work.. greetings from Indonesia

[@hllaryeneji2984]

this is one hell of a risky job. you guys are doing great.

[@markb5803]

So the only British envolment in this, apart from being the consumer, was Paul from the Met office, and he was no help at all! Makes you proud to be British 🇬🇧😊

[@bh2861]

🤣

[@user-dr1bv7gg1r]

No one in the uk is encouraged to be engineer's at school my daughter I want to be in engineering no no your a girl I said what