Jan 07, 2026 (MarketLine via COMTEX) --
North America dominates in terms of the number of new offshore pipelines set to become operational in 2026, but it doesnaEUR(TM)t have the biggest.
More than 385 oil and gas pipelines have been scheduled to commence across 2026, of which 113 are offshore, according to Offshore TechnologyaEUR(TM)s parent company GlobalData.
While a handful of planned pipeline infrastructure and extension projects face cancellations or delays aEUR" sparked by political shifts, supply challenges or a tailing off of investment aEUR" those set to go ahead in 2026 range between 4km and 567km in length.
The top longest offshore pipelines set to commence in 2026 will primarily transport gas in shallow water environments. While GlobalData reveals that most new pipelines will be in North America, the five longest buck the trend, running through South America, the Middle East, Australia and Asia.
On average, 2026 will see significantly more large offshore pipelines become operational than in 2025, but it wonaEUR(TM)t beat 2025aEUR(TM)s length record, set by the 715km Southeast Gateway in Mexico. However, with 2025aEUR(TM)s second-longest pipeline coming in at a paltry 80km, 2026 is set to be a significantly bigger year for offshore global pipelines.
1. Vaca Muerta Sur aEUR" ArgentinaOperated by ArgentinaaEUR(TM)s state-owned oil company YPF SA, the planned Vaca Muerta Sur oil pipeline will be around 565km in length, comprised of two connected phases that will run both onshore and through shallow water. The Argentinian pipeline was announced in August 2022 and will connect oilfields in Vaca Muerta with a new export facility at Golfo San Matias in Punta Colorada, with operations expected to commence in 2026.
Construction began on the first (approximately) 128km section of the pipeline between Loma Campana and Allen in May 2024. In December 2024, six oil companies entered an agreement to jointly develop the second (approximately) 437km phase: Chevron Argentina SRL, Pampa EnergAa SA, Pan American Sur SA, Pluspetrol SA, Shell Argentina SA and Vista Energy Argentina SAU.
The diameter of the steel pipeline will range between 20 and 30in, and capacity is expected to eventually reach up to 550,000 barrels per day. GlobalData estimates the pipeline has already cost $2.1bn (3.09tn pesos) and estimates that another $900m will be spent on the project in 2026.
2. North Field East aEUR" QatarExpected to be 500km in length, QatarEnergyaEUR(TM)s North Field East System will be the second-longest offshore pipeline to commence operations in 2026. It is the first phase of the broader Qatar-based North Field project announced in September 2018, although commissioning was initially delayed following economic disruption during Covid-19 and the final investment decision (FID) was not made until February 2021. In July 2022, partnership contracts were announced for North Field East with Shell, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Eni and TotalEnergies; collectively, these companies represent $7bn in investments and hold a 25% combined stake.
The pipeline will run through shallow water via four trains, each with a capacity of eight million tonnes per annum (mtpa). The project is expected to increase QataraEUR(TM)s liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity by around 50% and will include a carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility. North Field South will eventually follow North Field East as the second phase of QatarEnergyaEUR(TM)s North Field project, consisting of a further two 8mtpa trains.
3. ScarboroughaEUR"Pluto aEUR" AustraliaWoodside Energy GroupaEUR(TM)s Scarborough-Pluto pipeline began construction in 2023 and was completed in 2024. It has not yet commenced operations, but Woodside expects to begin transporting LNG across the 433km-long pipeline in the second half of 2026.
Made of steel and varying between 32 and 36in in diameter, the pipeline will have a capacity of 708 million cubic feet per day (mcf/d). It starts at Scarborough, Australia, and runs through deep water (reaching depths of up to 1,400m), shallow water and onshore to the Pluto LNG Terminal on the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia.
Woodside Energy has a 74.9% stake in the project, which is projected to cost $12bn (A$17.81bn) in total, and the remaining 25.1% is split between the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security, Sojitz, Sumitomo, Chubu Electric Power and Tokyo Electric Power. The project has faced a notable backlash including two court cases from advocacy groups the Conservation Council of Western Australia and the Australian Conservation Foundation, both of which criticised its potential environmental harm.
4. Block BaEUR"O Mon aEUR" VietnamPetroVietnam Gas CorporationaEUR(TM)s Block BaEUR"O Mon gas pipeline is a close fourth place, with a length of approximately 433km and a capacity of 656mcf/d. The steel pipeline will vary in diameter between 18 and 30in and will run through 329km of shallow water and 102km of onshore terrain through Vietnam, starting at Block B and ending at O Mon. The pipeline is part of the Block aEUR"BaEUR"O Mon Gas-to-Power value chain project, which includes upstream development of Blocks 48/95 and 52/97 and downstream development of four gas-fired power plants (O Mon I, II, III, IV).
The project was first announced in April 2016, and GlobalData reports that it has so far cost $1.28bn (VND33.63tn). However, the projectaEUR(TM)s history has been peppered by delays from slow regulatory approvals and turbine supply issues at the downstream plants. Following a flurry of contract activity in 2023 and 2024, the pipeline now expects first gas in 2026, although this too may be delayed.
5. RosmariaEUR"Marjoram aEUR" MalaysiaOperated by Sarawak Shell Berhad (SSB), a subsidiary of Shell, the Malaysian RosmariaEUR"Marjoram pipeline comes in in fifth place, at 207km. The steel pipeline will run from the Rosmari and Marjoram gas fields: deep-water sour gas fields located 220km off the coast of Bintulu and discovered in 2014. The pipeline will have a capacity of up to 800mcf/d and will operate in deep water at depths of between 450m and 800m, before arriving at an onshore gas processing unit.
Shell holds an 80% stake in the pipeline, while Petronas Carigali holds 20%. In July 2022, Samsung Engineering secured a $680m (Won983.85bn) engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contract from SSB for an onshore gas plant associated with the project, and the FID was made in September 2022.
6. Walker Ridge 52aEUR"Garden Banks 72 aEUR" USGas dominates the top five pipelines, but oil is an evident priority in the US. The 169.39km Walker Ridge 52aEUR"Garden Banks 72 oil steel pipeline, wholly owned by Manta Ray Offshore Gathering, will run through the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) maintaining a pressure of 25.55 megapascals (mpa) through shallow water and transporting oil from the Walker Ridge 52 platform to the Garden Banks 72 platform.
Manta Ray Gathering has shared little about the pipeline besides its planned 2026 start date, but GlobalData figures show it will be the companyaEUR(TM)s third-largest pipeline. Its largest, Mississippi Canyon 920aEUR"West Delta 68, spanned 213.05km but was decommissioned in 2015; the companyaEUR(TM)s 198.8km Garden Banks 72aEUR"High Island A 5 pipeline is still active.
7. Darwin Pipeline Duplication (DPD) aEUR" AustraliaThe Santos-operated DPD pipeline will run from the Bayu Undan Tie In metering station, extending the Barossa gas export pipeline to reach the Darwin LNG terminal. The Australian pipeline is fully constructed and has commenced commissioning, standing at 123km in length and running primarily through onshore and shallow water terrains. Santos has a 50% stake in the pipeline, splitting ownership with SK E&S (37.5%) and JERA (12.5%).
Initially, Santos had planned for the pipeline to connect to the Bayu Undan-to-Darwin pipeline but proposed the DPD plan in 2022 to keep the Bayu Undan export pipeline available to carry CO2 for CCS. The pipeline construction was completed in June 2024, and approval was given for Santos to begin commissioning in April 2025. Start-up operations have already commenced, and Darwin LNG is expected to reach capacity in 2026.
8. Texas Gulflink aEUR" USNew US pipelines display a focus on oil, as evident in the 92.21km Sentinel Midstream subsidiary Texas Gulflink-operated pipeline. The pipelineaEUR(TM)s diameter will range between 36 and 42in across onshore and shallow water environments, maintaining a pressure of 10.20mpa and reaching a maximum depth of 33.53m. The pipeline will run from an onshore crude oil storage terminal at Jones Creek in Brazoria County, Texas, to a platform in the GoM, with a capacity of 1aEUR"2 million barrels per day.
The project was first announced in 2019, when Texas Gulflink applied for a licence with the US Maritime Administration; a record of decision was approved in February 2025, followed by a Clean Air Act permit in September 2025. The project is now waiting for the FID, and operations are expected to commence in 2026.
9. Aasta HansteenaEUR"Irpa aEUR" NorwayOperated by Equinor, the 80km Aasta HansteenaEUR"Irpa pipeline runs through deep and shallow water off the coast of Norway. The pipeline diameter is 20in and will run from the platform at Aasta Hansteen to the Irpa field, extending the life of Aasta Hansteen from 2032 to 2039. Irpa, previously called Asterix, is located at a depth of 1.25km, 340km offshore of BodA. Equinor has said that the steel pipeline will use a swaged pipe-in-pipe design alongside a combination of insulation and vacuum between the inner and outer pipes to tackle the extreme cold, as well as monoethylene glycol, injected at the wellhead to lower the?hydrate formation temperature. The project is a partnership comprising 51% Equinor Energy, 20% Petoro, 19% Wintershall and 10% Shell.
10. BintuluaEUR"Samalaju aEUR" MalaysiaAt 70km, the Samalaju gas pipeline takes the final spot. With a capacity of 299mcf/d, the pipeline will run onshore and in shallow water, from a metering station in Bintulu to another in Samalaju. The project was announced in 2022 and commenced construction in 2024, reaching completion towards the end of 2025. The pipeline will become operational in 2026, supplying gas to a new 842MW combined-cycle power plant and to Samalaju Industrial Park. Total costs are estimated to be around $212m (RM860.26m), with GlobalData predicting that $28.86m of that will be spent in 2026.
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