Norway to deploy military to protect its oil and gas installations

Norway will deploy its military to protect its oil and gas installations against possible sabotage after several countries said two Russian pipelines to Europe spewing gas into the Baltic had been attacked, the prime minister said on Wednesday.

Norway is now Europe's largest gas supplier and a leading global oil supplier. It has over 90 offshore oil and gas fields, most of which are connected to a network of gas pipelines stretching some 9,000km.
"The military will be more visible at Norwegian oil and gas installations," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a news conference.Attack would be"handled jointly with our allies," he said. Norway is a NATO member.At sea, the Navy would be deployed to protect offshore installations, while on land, police could increase presence at facilities, he said.

( Source Reuters)