Danish police have received reports of unauthorized drone flights near gas fields in the North Sea, following similar incidents recorded on the Norwegian side and the alleged vandalism of Nord Stream pipelines.
“Over the weekend we received information about drones in the North Sea,” a Danish police spokesman told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Trade publication Danish Offshore Industry reports that ‘drones’ have been spotted near the Rohr gas field, operated by French group Total Energies, more than 200 kilometers off Denmark’s west coast.
This is the second such incident in a week.
On Thursday, daily Ekstra Bladet reported “unauthorized” drone activity in the Halfdan B sector operated by the French company.
After the investigation, the team referred the explanations to the Danish authorities.
“In relation to unauthorized drone activity near our facilities in the North Sea, Total Energies refers to the Danish authorities that we have reported possible sightings,” the French agency told AFP.
The team also assured that it has taken “necessary steps regarding security procedures”.
Denmark has increased security around its energy infrastructure after alleged sabotage of gas pipelines linking Russia and Germany in its exclusive economic zone.
Neighboring Norway, now a major gas supplier to Europe, has followed suit, mindful that its oil and gas facilities are a potential prime target.
To justify increased security in the sector, Norwegian authorities cited an increase in drone sightings near oil installations.
“Underwater explosions equivalent to hundreds of kilograms” of TNT (trinitrotoluene) explosives were the origin of leaks discovered in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in international waters off the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, and “all available information” indicates that these explosions were the result of a deliberate act.” Sweden and Denmark said in an official statement sent to the United Nations.
Suspected of being the source of the leaks, Russia has already launched a counterattack since Wednesday, pointing the finger at the United States and demanding a UN Security Council meeting on Friday.
Russian gas company Gazprom said on Monday that the pressure in two pipelines had stabilized and the leaks had stopped.
However, according to the Swedish Coast Guard, bubbles caused by gas leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline have stopped, but remain in Nord Stream 2.
The giant bubble-forming spills are located in international waters, two of which were found in the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the other two in the Danish EEZ.
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