STOCKHOLM, Sweden – Swedish authorities have reported a new fourth alleged leak in the Nord Stream pipelines in the Swedish economic zone, and some officials fear that the damage to the pipeline system may not be repairable.
According to multiple news reports, the Swedish Coast Guard reportedly found the fourth leak in a portion of the Nord Stream system on Tuesday, but the existence of the new leak was not reported in Swedish media until Wednesday evening. This new hole is said to be leaking gas that can be seen at the surface of the sea, creating a disturbance hundreds of feet wide.
Media reports have indicated that this latest leak was detected on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, but the Swedish Coast Guard did not confirm this.
The Swedish Maritime Administration has yet to issue any navigation warnings to vessels operating in the area, although Maria Boman, maritime rescue leader at the Maritime and Air Rescue Centre, told the newspaper Aftonbladet that the existing navigation warnings over the prior leaks covered the same area.
“It was not known from the beginning and was not visible on radar because it is smaller. The Coast Guard saw it when they went by boat and plane in the area. I don’t know exactly when, but at least it was known by lunchtime on Tuesday,” Boman said.
Swedish seismologist Björn Lund has previously speculated that the previous leaks followed possible explosions and said the new leak may also have been the result of an explosion too. “It cannot be ruled out that this is the case. We will look in more detail at the measurement data. It could be another detonation or some kind of [reaction to] the other one,” he said.
The extent of the damage to the pipelines remains to be seen but German security authorities have expressed concern that the pipelines may be damaged beyond economical repair forever if they are not quickly patched now, since salt water from the sea would corrode the insides of the pipes.
Experts and government officials have blamed deliberate sabotage for the leaks, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying, “Any deliberate disruption of active European energy infrastructure is unacceptable and will lead to the strongest possible response.”
While many authorities appear to agree that the leaks were caused by sabotage, it remains unclear who may have been behind the acts as no one has yet taken credit, and it is not yet clear who stands to benefit from damaging the system, perhaps irreparably.
09.29.2022
