Good news came from Denmark at the weekend: gas is no longer escaping from the four leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. But this assessment was obviously wrong. The Swedish Coast Guard makes a different observation at the beginning of the week.
Contrary to expectations, gas leaks from the damaged Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea have not yet completely dried up. According to the Swedish Coast Guard, the area where gas escapes from the water at the smaller of the two exit points in the country’s economic zone had even increased. It was therefore about 30 meters after the coast guard reported a diameter of 15 meters at the weekend. It is a leak in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The initially larger exit point on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, however, can no longer be seen on the water surface.
Danish authorities only announced at the weekend that no more gas was leaking at the two points within their economic zone. The operator, Nord Stream AG, had been informed that the pressure in the pipeline had also stabilized at Nord Stream 1. This indicates that no more gas is escaping. The Danes had already announced the same status for Nord Stream 2 on Saturday.
The Russian state-owned company Gazprom also confirmed that the pressure in the lines of the two pipelines had now stabilized. To be on the safe side, gas is still being pumped out of the intact Nord Stream 2 pipe in order to create better conditions for checking the pipeline. Although the lines are not in operation, they are filled with gas for technical reasons.
Previously, large amounts of gas had escaped continuously for days from the four leaks in the two pipelines – two of them in Swedish waters, two in Danish waters. Many states assume sabotage. At least two explosions occurred under water, 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”.
Germany, Denmark and Sweden announced a joint investigation. Russia denies being behind the blasts. President Vladimir Putin blamed the West for this and spoke of “sabotage”.
