Norwegian gas deliveries will be maintained at their current level “for the next four or five years”, assures Norway, Europe’s leading gas supplier. The announcement was made by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who received on the offshore platform of the Troll field the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg. This visit was an opportunity to emphasize the importance of securing the oil and gas infrastructure in the North Sea, such as the Troll field.
Norwegian gas deliveries to Europe
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Norway has become Europe’ s largest supplier of gas, making up for the reduction in Russian deliveries. Indeed, Norway increased its gas production last year and now covers between 30 and 40% of the continent’s needs.
The Troll field is Norway’s largest gas field and one of its largest oil fields. It alone supplies the equivalent of 10% of European gas consumption. The infrastructure of this field is vulnerable, as demonstrated by the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea in September 2022.
Strengthening the security of the North Sea oil and gas infrastructure
The EU and Nato have set up a working group to strengthen the protection of their oil and gas infrastructure in the North Sea, following the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline in September 2022. The Atlantic Alliance also agreed to establish a coordination forum for the protection of maritime infrastructure.
To ensure the security of the oil and gas infrastructure in the North Sea, two Norwegian and German ships were cruising off the Troll platform during the visit of the President of the European Commission and the Secretary General of NATO. A maritime surveillance aircraft and a helicopter were also mobilized to monitor the platform.
