Brussels, 08/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Saturday 6 October, EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs welcomed the inauguration of a new natural gas field, Ormen Lange, which will enable Norway to increase its gas exports to the EU. When fully up and running, the Ormen Lange offshore gas field will meet 20% of the UK's gas needs via the Langeled pipeline, for 30 to 40 years. Due to tight environmental controls, it will take ten years to get the gas field up and running, at a cost of €6.3 billion. The recoverable reserves at Ormen Lange are estimated to be in the range of 397 billion cubic metres (bcm). Exports to the UK and the rest of the EU will rise to 25 bcm/year. Norway's total gas supplies are predicted to rise from today's 85 bcm/year to 120 bcm/year. (eh)