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Sabotage suspected as cause of Nord Stream pipeline leaks
5/10/2022
News
A number of leaks were found last week in the offshore sections of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines which, until recently, carried Russian gas to Europe, with sabotage suspected as the cause.
Seismologists in Denmark and Sweden first reported registering evidence of strong underwater blasts near the Nord Stream pipelines on 26 September, with the Danish Defence Command subsequently releasing footage of bubbles of gas on the surface of the Baltic Sea. The Swedish Coast Guard later discovered a fourth leak on Nord Stream 2, close to the larger leak found earlier on Nord Stream 1.
NATO said the damage to the pipelines in international waters in the Baltic Sea was ‘of deep concern’, noting that all the currently available information indicated that the leaks were ‘the result of deliberate, reckless, and irresponsible acts of sabotage’ and were ‘causing risks to shipping and substantial environmental damage’.
The European Union has repeatedly accused Russia of weaponising gas supplies in retaliation for the West’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in February.
However, the BBC reported that the Russian Foreign Ministry had dismissed suggestions that it had attacked its own pipelines as ‘predictable and stupid’, instead stating that the explosions had occurred in ‘zones controlled by American intelligence’.
Although both pipelines contain gas, neither are currently transporting supplies to Europe. Nord Stream 1 was closed by Russia in late August for maintenance operations, with the Kremlin later stating the line would not open until international sanctions were lifted, while work on Nord Stream 2 halted after Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year.
European gas prices quickly rose on reports of the damage to both Nord Stream pipelines, having previously fallen to almost $50/mn Btu on the back of high storage levels at more than 87% full, according to Rystad Energy.
Commenting on the news, Emily McClain, Rystad Energy Vice President, noted that the Baltic Pipe pipeline, which will carry Norwegian gas through Denmark to Poland and neighbouring countries, was in the same vicinity as Nord Stream and there had been initial fears over whether the leaks might result in a delay to its start-up. However, the pipeline was officially inaugurated as planned in late September.
McClain also reported that earlier in September, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed it had prevented an attack on the TurkStream pipeline facility, and that some drones had also been observed around Norwegian oil and gas platforms, prompting Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) on 26 September to inform oil companies to be more cautious over unidentified drones flying near facilities, warning of the risk of accidents or attacks. ‘Norway is currently supplying around 30% of the European Union’s (EU) gas demand, making it the most important single source of gas supply,’ said McClain.
