Norway inspects Europipe II subsea gas link to Germany

Reach Subsea ASA

07/10/2022 08:40

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      Equinor deploys specialist vessel 
    

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      Norwegian energy sector on high alert
    

  
    By Nerijus Adomaitis and Ron Bousso
       OSLO, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Norway has deployed a specialist
vessel to inspect a subsea gas pipeline to Germany because of
safety concerns after suspected sabotage last month on two Nord
Stream pipelines between Russia and Germany, sources and data
has showed.
    Norway, Europe's largest gas supplier, last week put its
energy sector on high alert, deploying its navy and air force to
patrol offshore facilities and placing soldiers at onshore gas
processing plants after the Sept. 26 Nord Stream blasts.
    The Havila Subsea, an oil service vessel equipped with
remotely operated subsea vehicles, was deployed on Oct. 5 to
survey the Europipe II pipeline that runs from the Kaarstoe gas
plant in Norway to Dornum in Germany, Refinitiv vessel-tracking
data shows. 
    Jostein Alendal, chief executive of Reach Subsea  REACH.OL ,
which operates Havila Subsea, told Reuters the inspection was
ordered by Equinor  EQNR.OL , which carries out pipeline
inspections on behalf of offshore gas system operator Gassco.
    "For security considerations, we cannot go into detail about
specific measures," a Gassco spokesperson said in an email. 
    An Equinor representative was not immediately available to
comment and Norway's military declined to comment on offshore
pipeline surveys or other specific offshore security measures.
    "Knowledge about these measures makes it easier for an actor
to avoid them," a military spokesperson said in an email.
    Europipe II is possibly the most important Norwegian
pipeline, said Tor Ivar Stroemmen, a senior lecturer at the
Royal Norwegian Naval Academy.
    "A major interruption of the flow of gas to Germany could
cause political pressures changing the dynamics of the ongoing
stand-off with Russia," Stroemmen said.
    Germany, Europe's largest economy, relied heavily on Russian
gas supplies from Russia until supplies were cut after Russia's
invasion of Ukraine. 
    The 658km Europipe II has capacity of 71 million cubic
metres (mcm) of gas per day, about a fifth of Norway's total
pipeline exports.
    Sweden's Security Service said on Thursday that a crime
scene investigation of the two pipelines has strengthened
suspicions of "gross sabotage" involving detonations.
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Havila Subsea    https://tmsnrt.rs/3V7zuWh
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 (Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis and Ron Bousso
Additional reporting by Gwladys Fouche in Oslo
Editing by David Goodman)
 ((nerijus.adomaitis@thomsonreuters.com; +47 9027 6699; Reuters
Messaging: nerijus.adomaitis.thomsonreuters@reuters.net))