Norwegian Navy Shadows Chinese Container Ship Amid Investigation into Gas Pipeline Damage

Finnish investigators have been actively probing the cause of damage to the Baltic Sea pipeline. They have been scrutinizing the New Polar Bear, a Chinese container ship, as well as a Russian-flagged vessel named the Sevmorput, along with other ships that were present in the area during the time of the incident. Preliminary findings suggest the damage might have resulted from “outside activity,” possibly intentional.

The New Polar Bear operates as a container ship, connecting Europe and China via the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic. On Monday, it exited the Baltic Sea and entered the North Sea, subsequently proceeding north along the Norwegian coastline.

The Norwegian Coast Guard dispatched the KV Sortland, a patrol vessel, to shadow the New Polar Bear on Monday, starting at 0400 GMT off the southern tip of Norway. This surveillance continued until around 1915 GMT when the container ship was located approximately 70 kilometres (43 miles) northwest of Bergen, according to data from Marine Traffic.

The geographical area where the monitoring took place is notably close to Norway’s significant gas pipeline infrastructure and key oil and gas platforms, which are vital components of the nation’s energy sector.

The KV Sortland maintained a distance of 1 nautical mile, equivalent to approximately 1.8 kilometres, throughout the 15-hour operation. The Norwegian military’s operational command centre refrained from commenting on the specifics of this operation. However, they emphasized the role of the Coast Guard in ensuring the security and safety of maritime activities in the region, encompassing functions such as fisheries protection, search and rescue operations, and monitoring shipping activities.

The owner and operator of the NewNew Polar Bear, NewNew Shipping, declined to provide any comments when approached by Reuters for clarification on the situation.

Norway, renowned as Europe’s leading gas supplier, responded to the incident by deploying its Navy to safeguard offshore oil and gas platforms, as well as its extensive network of gas pipelines beneath the North Sea, extending over 8,000 kilometres (4,971 miles).

As the investigation into the Gulf of Finland incident continues, Oslo maintains a watchful eye on developments, prioritizing the protection of its offshore energy infrastructure.