At present, fossil gas is leaking into the Baltic Sea. Since yesterday, three leaks have been detected on the northern stream 1 and 2. Whatever the source of these leaks, the environmental effects can be severe. That's what happens.
The news came out last night. The Danish authorities quickly announced it officially. The reason for it wasn't established. The pressure in one of the submarine gas pipelines linking Russia to Germany, "Northstream 2," dropped sharply. Between 105 and only seven strokes. It wasn't very small. The gas started leaking into the Baltic Sea, not far from Bornholm Island, because even if the gas pipeline wasn't working, it was still filled with several tens of millions of cubic metres of fossil gas.
This morning, despite the fact that leaks from pipelines are extremely rare, history seems to be repeating itself. This time, Sweden sent an alarm. There were two new drops in pressure and two new gas leaks. This time, the northern stream 1 gas pipeline, which also has not been operational since August. Was this an act of sabotage or a failure of the circumstances? The investigation will show that.
There is no doubt that these fossil gas leaks will not be as impressive as the oil spills that occur when oil hits the ocean, but the consequences can still be serious. Given the observed pressure variations, observers fear that these leaks may be large, even on the radars of nearby ships, the authorities have sent not only a warship but also a searchboat and a helicopter, all of which have been done in order to assess the extent of damage as far as possible.
From explosion risks to ecosystem risks
The first potential impact to be mentioned is the risk of explosion, because methane, the fossil gas transported through the Northern Flow 1 and 2 gas pipelines, is a flammable gas that causes notorious explosions in mines.
And the risk of explosion.
Finally, leakage can also have consequences for marine ecosystems, warned by environmentalists, who say that the gas currently flowing into the Baltic Sea may strangle some animals, such as animals that cannot escape quickly enough, and environmental groups are particularly concerned because the exact composition of the gas transported through "Northstream 1 and 2" is unknown.