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Energy possession security crucial for Norway due to Europe's dependence, intelligence chief says

Europe's increased reliance on Norway's oil and gas has actually made the nation's energy installations more at threat of attack, the head of among the companies charged with securing them told on Monday.

Norway in 2022 overtook Russia as Europe's greatest provider of gas as Moscow's invasion of Ukraine upended decades-long energy ties and sent out costs skyrocketing.

I am concerned about dependency, and there is no doubt that Europe has become more depending on Norwegian gas, Lars Christian Aamodt, head of the National Security Authority, stated in an interview.

As soon as the dependence increases, so will the hazard and the risk, he stated, speaking after Norway's three intelligence firms provided their particular annual risk assessments.

Aamodt's company stated European dependency on Norwegian oil and gas could increase further must disputes in the Middle East interfere with the petroleum market.

In addition, Norwegian oil and gas installations could be struck by mishaps, physical sabotage and devastating cyberattacks, the country's military intelligence service ( E-service) stated in its separate report.

Russian security and mapping of Norwegian facilities is continuing as business as normal, Admiral Nils Andreas Stensoenes, director of the E-service, told .

They continue the surveillance program and that is very, very little affected by the war (in Ukraine), he included.

' EYE OPENER'

An occurrence last October under the Baltic Sea, when a seabed gas pipeline and a telecom cable television linking Finland and Estonia were damaged, was an eye opener about the danger of sabotage, the head of the cops security firm said.

It has raised awareness for numerous, also in Norway, PST Chief Beate Gangaas told .

Finnish authorities have named Chinese container ship NewNew Polar Bear as the prime suspect, stating its anchor dragged throughout the sea bed. They have yet to conclude whether it was an mishap or a purposeful act.

2 more cables, one linking Sweden and Estonia and a. Russian one, were also damaged around that time.

(source: Reuters)