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What did Norway know about impending attack on gas infrastructure before it happened?
Were seagull sightings used to increase naval security in ports and around off-shore rigs?
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20 Sept 2022 - NOR: Drone activity in the North Sea continues
Unidentified drones continue to appear around Norwegian oil and gas installations in the North Sea. At the weekend, a foreign drone was also observed in the Sleipner area.
Defense sources assume that a state actor is probably behind the activity. The purpose is uncertain, but in the current security policy situation may have the purpose of updating previous operational plans for possible sabotage actions against Norwegian oil and gas installations.
The Gina Krog oil and gas field is a very important distribution link for Norwegian gas supplies to Europe. The platform on the Gina Krog field is connected to Sleipner A and, according to Equinor's website, uses "both process capacity on the platform and existing pipelines to send the gas on to the market in Europe".
21 Sept 2022 - NOR, Styrk Heimevernet!: See the words "on land". Norway has a dozen gas plants on land that are not well enough protected from the sea.
If Norwegian gas plants fall victim to hybrid attacks from hidden actors, it will be dark and cold in Europe. Therefore @Bjornarildgram must arouse that SHV. Then the navy must secure the shelf.
21 Sept 2022 - NOR: Two new drones observed in the North Sea
Unidentified drones continue to appear in the North Sea. Two new drones have now been observed.
On Saturday, what is described as a "severe" drone was observed near the Kristin field. On Tuesday, a new drone appeared which should have been less than 50 meters from the Heidrun platform, Stavanger Aftenblad reports.
21 Sept 2022 - NOR: Two new drones observed in the North Sea - were very close to the Heidrun platform
Unidentified drones continue to appear in the North Sea. On Saturday, a "severe" drone was observed near the Kristin field and on Tuesday, a new drone appeared which is said to have been less than 50 meters from the Heidrun platform.
Equinor has reported
- We have made observations of unidentified drones at some of our installations, confirms Eskil Eriksen, press spokesperson at Equinor.
- We take the incidents seriously and report the observations to the Norwegian authorities, the Petroleum Safety Authority and the police, Eriksen asserted.
He says that Equinor is in dialogue with the governing authorities regarding follow-up of the drone activity.
22 Sept 2022 - NOR: Norway Investigates Mysterious Drone Sightings Near Offshore Oil & Gas Fields 23 Sept 2022 - NOR: Petroleum Safety Authority Norway - Observations of unidentified drones/aircraft offshore
Operator companies on the Norwegian continental shelf have recently notified/reported
several sightings of unidentified drones/aircraft in the vicinity of
offshore installations. The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway encourages increased vigilance from all operators and shipowners on the Norwegian continental shelf and reminds them to notify and report observations to us, in accordance with Section 58 of the Framework Regulations Notification and reporting in connection with security zones.
Unidentified drones/aircraft may involve increased risk in areas such as - helicopter traffic and SAR helicopters
- ignition source control - non Ex approved equipment in the vicinity of explosive areas hazardous areas
- falling objects - collision with equipment
- deliberate attacks
We assume that some of the players in the industry are already familiar with this. Nevertheless, we consider we consider it relevant to provide information about these incidents. We encourage further
vigilance, review of emergency preparedness measures and incident management and information sharing. Furthermore, communication in general in the petroleum the petroleum industry and with cooperating authorities. We ask that relevant personnel in the individual operating company and the individual shipowner, and the safety service are made aware of the contents of this letter.
22 Sept 2022 - NOR: Norway is raising its ISPS-maritime-security level to level 2
22 Sept 2022 - NOR: Accessed through the Internet Archive (nor INCREASES NAVAL SECURITY)
26 Sept 2022 - NOR: Norway oil safety regulator warns of threats from unidentified drones
26 Sept 2022 - NOR: Norway calls for vigilance over unidentified drones near oil and gas fields
27 Sept 2022 - DK: Denmark's Prime Minister on the gas leaks: - Talk about deliberate actions
Both Sweden's and Denmark's prime ministers believe the gas leaks are deliberate actions, but deny that it is an attack on the countries.
Nevertheless, the Norwegian Defense Intelligence Service assesses that there is no increased military threat to Denmark, says the Prime Minister.
Not an accident
Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod, Defense Minister Morten Bødskov and Climate, Energy and Supply Minister Dan Jørgensen are also present at the press conference.
The nature of the leaks and their size indicate that it cannot be an accident, says Minister of Supply Dan Jørgensen.
The ministers will not say anything about what they believe is the motive behind the sabotage of the pipeline.
Increases preparedness
Defense Minister Morten Bødskov says that preparedness around Bornholm is now being increased.
The Norwegian Defense Forces have had a patrol ship in the area since yesterday.
The government cooperates with Denmark, Norway, Finland, Germany and the USA, says Andersson.
Andersson states that on Tuesday she spoke on the phone with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg about the matter.
She says that Norway has notified Sweden of increased drone activity in the North Sea.
1 Oct 2022 - NOR: After the Nord Stream 1 and 2 explosions and "unusual high" drone activity at Norwegian oil and gas installations, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre visited the Sleipner platform on Saturday.
There he met the CEO of Equinor, Anders Opedal, and both informed the employees at the platform about the level of security at Norwegian oil and gas installations.
- Traveling offshore is always special. Today was perhaps a little extra special, opened Equinor CEO Anders Opedal.
After the session, questions from the audience were opened, and an employee asked a question that painted a picture of uncertainty and concern around all the drone observations that have been made near oil and gas installations in recent days.
- This is very worrying, we don't know if it is boyish behavior or who is behind it, but how does the prime minister react to the drone observations?, was the question.
Støre responded by emphasizing the seriousness:
- These are not boy pranks, and we take this seriously, said Støre.
1 Oct 2022 - NOR: Jonas Gahr Støre about the drone observations: - These are not boy pranks
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Equinor CEO Anders Opedal visited the Sleipner A platform in the North Sea on Saturday.
Following the Nord Stream 1 and 2 explosions as well as "unusually high" drone activity at Norwegian oil and gas installations, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr visited the Støre Sleipner A platform on Saturday.
"Traveling offshore is always special. Today was perhaps a little extra special", opened Equinor CEO Anders Opedal.
No threat information
Støre also repeated what he also said at another press conference on Friday:
"We have no information that there is a threat to us, but as the situation is now, it is wise and sensible to step up preparedness - and we are doing that", he said, and pointed to close cooperation with the companies operating on the Norwegian continental shelf...
14 Oct 2022 - NOR: Prime minister links drones over Norway to ‘hybrid threats’ “This is part of challenges from so-called ‘hybrid threats’ that can challenge preparedness and security,” Støre told news bureau NTB Friday afternoon. “We are following this closely.”
Støre also noted that the police are actively investigating drone sightings, the latest of which set off alarms Thursday night at state oil company Equinor’s huge gas processing plant at Kårstø between Haugesund and Stavanger.
19 Oct 2022 - NOR: Norway intel agency takes over probe into drone sightings
Norway’s domestic security agency on Wednesday took over investigations of drone sightings near key infrastructure sites hours after the airport in the country’s second-largest city briefly closed due to area residents spotting at least one drone nearby.
Bergen Airport, which is near Norway’s main naval base, shut down at around 6:30 a.m. when the area’s air space was closed and reopened 2½ hours later. Bergen police spokesman Ørjan Djuvik said several drone sightings were reported near the airport.
“There can also be observations that could be other phenomenon, for instance weather,” Djuvik said. “We are sure that there is at least one.”
18 Nov 2022 - UK/NOR: A journey to the site of the Nord Stream explosions
Before the pipeline attack, Norway's navy and coast guard used these speed boats for search and rescue missions and fishery inspections. Now, they are being called on to investigate the increasing number of drone sightings called in by the oil and gas companies out here.
Norway's prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre describes this as the tensest security situation the country has faced in decades. The oil and gas companies are definitely jumpy.
One of the naval officers confided that some of the "drone" sightings turn out to be seagulls. But certainly not all of them.
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