Baltic Sea gas pipeline still closed after mysterious object found

Gas flow from the Nord Stream Line 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea is yet to resume following the halt earlier this week after a potentially explosive object had been found in the vicinity.

Nord Stream AG, the operator of the pipeline carrying Russian gas to EU, on Wednesday said that the Swedish Armed Forces were on site “to safely and professionally dispose of the munitions object.”

“They have to work under windy conditions, so there is no set timeline when the works will be completed,” the company said.

Transportation through Line 2, closed at inlet as a precautionary measure, is expected to be resumed as soon as the disposal of the object is confirmed.

The object, described by Nord Stream AG as a “piece of munition” is in the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) approximately 120 km away from the island of Gotland.

As for the nature of the object, the Swedish armed forces said Wednesday that it was impossible to say what it was exactly until the identification is completed.

To remind, the Swedish media reported Monday that the mysterious object might be an expendable subsea drone used to destroy underwater mines by detonating a large caliber charge and destroying both itself and the mine in the process. Read more on that here: https://bit.ly/1lf2n0Z

Nord Stream milestone

Nord Stream in October marked a significant milestone, having transported 100 billion cubic metres of Russian natural gas to the European Union.

The 1,224 kilometers long twin pipeline system crosses the Exclusive Economic Zones of Russia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany, as well as the territorial waters of Russia, Denmark, and Germany.

According to Nord Stream AG, the pipeline’s transport capacity of 55 bcm per year can provide more than 10 percent of the current gas demand in the EU.

Offshore Energy Today Staff