“We have no indication that there are direct threats against the Norwegian oil and gas sector,” the Norwegian prime minister said.
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The announcement comes after the alleged sabotage of Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea: Norway, which has become Europe’s largest natural gas supplier, accepted military contributions from France, Germany and the United Kingdom to secure its oil and gas sector, said its Prime Minister Friday, September 30. “We are in discussion with our allies to increase the (military) presence in Norwegian waters and have accepted German, French and British contributions”Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said at a press conference.
This announcement comes a few days after the detection of four leaks, preceded by explosions, on the Nord Stream gas pipelines which connect Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, an incident generally considered an act of sabotage. “I understand that people are worried about the consequences that the situation in the Baltic Sea may have and that something similar may happen to oil and gas installations”said Jonas Gahr Støre. “We have no indication that there are any direct threats against the Norwegian oil and gas sector”he repeated, however.
After the leaks and explosions that occurred on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines off the Danish island of Bornholm, between southern Sweden and Poland, Norway had already announced a reinforcement around its own oil and gas infrastructure with, in particular, a military presence “more visible”. On Friday, Jonas Gahr Støre said that two Norwegian coastguard vessels had been diverted to patrol near the oil platforms and that the area was also monitored by a maritime patrol aircraft.
Having become the main supplier of gas to Europe after the reduction of Russian deliveries in the wake of the war in Ukraine, Norway is linked to the Old Continent by a network of undersea gas pipelines which stretches over nearly 9,000 kilometers .