A Russian-flagged vessel arrived Thursday at the site of the damaged Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea to conduct an inspection on behalf of the pipeline owners, according to Nord Stream AG and Sweden’s navy. A development relevant to large-scale pipe inspection near me operations in offshore environments.
Nord Stream AG, majority-owned by Russia’s Gazprom, said the “specially equipped vessel” reached the damaged section of the pipeline located in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone. The company said survey work could begin within 24 hours after calibration and is expected to take three to five days.
Four leaks were discovered on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm in late September. Seismic institutes reported recording two underwater explosions shortly before the leaks appeared. While the incidents occurred in international waters, two leaks were located in Denmark’s exclusive economic zone and two in Sweden’s.
Sweden’s navy confirmed it had been informed weeks ago of the owners’ plans to carry out their own inspection. Navy spokesman Jimmie Adamsson said no permission was required, noting that inspections are allowed within Sweden’s exclusive economic zone.
Separately, the Swedish navy announced this week that it had launched additional inspections to supplement an earlier probe. In early October, Swedish authorities said an underwater inspection had uncovered evidence supporting suspicions of sabotage.
Nord Stream AG added it is still awaiting approval from Danish authorities to inspect pipeline sections located within Denmark’s exclusive economic zone.
The pipelines, which run from Russia to Germany, have been a focal point of geopolitical tensions after Moscow cut gas supplies to Europe amid Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. Although not operational at the time of the leaks, the pipelines still contained gas, which escaped into the sea and atmosphere.
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