Was warned almost ten years ago. The Norwegian shelf is still not extra protected against sabotage.
Oil and gas installations are “clearly vital national infrastructure that should be secured”, Norwegian security authorities said in 2013. This year later, it is still not in place.
There is war and an energy crisis in Europe. And a week and a half ago, two important pipelines for gas were destroyed in the Baltic Sea. The suspicion of serious sabotage has been strengthened, Swedish police recently reported.
Oil and gas are the most important goods that Norway sells to other countries. We alone cover around 25 percent of all gas used in the EU and the UK.
When there was a storm in the Baltic Sea, visible preparedness in Norwegian waters was therefore quickly intensified. The Home Guard was sent out with weapons. The British provided help from the navy.
Why wasn’t the Norwegian continental shelf already secured?
Must protect critical infrastructure
Norway has 8,800 kilometers of oil and gas pipelines. They are absolutely central to the energy supply to Europe and one of the pillars of the Norwegian economy.
So how should they be secured? The question was answered by the Norwegian security authorities back in 2013.
The advice from the National Security Authority (NSM) was crystal clear: They need extra protection.
Nine years later, it has not happened, despite repeated warnings:
Read the whole story with a subscription