According to the Swedish Coast Guard, gas leaks from the damaged Nord Stream pipelines have further decreased. After a flight over the exits on Saturday afternoon, the authority announced that the two leaks in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone only leaked gas over an area 100 meters in diameter, and the smaller leak over an area 15 meters in diameter.
Forecasts assumed Brexit would end on Sunday. However, the Swedes announced that they and their operational teams were also prepared for a longer period of time. Ships have to avoid the Baltic Sea area on a large scale.
According to the Danish authorities, no more gas should have escaped from the Nord Stream 2 pipeline on Saturday. The Danish Energy Authority said it was informed by the operator that the pressure in the pipeline had stabilized, indicating that no more gas was escaping.
Previously, large amounts of gas had escaped continuously for days from the four leaks in the two Nord Stream pipelines – two in Swedish, two in Danish waters. Estimates go up to more than 300,000 tons of natural gas.
Experts assume sabotage
Many states assume sabotage. At least two explosions took place underwater, Denmark and Sweden announced during the week. Seismological institutes have measured a strength of 2.3 and 2.1, which “probably corresponds to an explosive charge of several hundred kilograms”.
Russia: Pipeline repair possible
According to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, it is possible to repair the damaged pipelines. The TASS news agency quoted him as saying that such incidents had never happened before. “Of course there are technical possibilities to restore the infrastructure. But that takes time and the right resources.” He is sure that “appropriate options will be found”.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
