Earlier this month, news discussed the cooperation agreement between the Petroleum Safety Authority and the Russian supervisory authority Rostekhnadzor. The Petroleum Safety Authority’s HSE agreement with the Russians was concluded in December 2020, with “a view to closer cooperation to raise the level of safety in the oil and gas industry”. It includes: Sharing of information and documentation Exchange of experience, meetings, workshops and consultations Several reacted strongly to the agreement in light of the suspected gas sabotage in the Baltic Sea. The Petroleum Safety Authority has previously told news that there have been no meetings with Rostekhnadzor after the agreement was signed. Now it turns out that the Petroleum Safety Authority (Ptil) and Rostekhnadzor held a digital meeting as late as December 2021. Press contact Eileen Brundtland in Ptil confirms this. – This professional meeting had gone under the radar the first time we responded to you, writes Brundtland in an e-mail to news. Special focus on pipelines news has obtained access to meeting minutes and correspondence between the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority and Rostekhnadzor. Parts of the meeting dealt with the closure of old oil and gas fields, or more precisely the plugging of wells. Towards the end of the conversation, the Norwegians and the Russians agreed that the Petroleum Safety Authority should invite the Russians to Stavanger for a physical meeting, and that they should agree on the time for this as soon as possible. Future topics of conversation were also discussed between the Norwegian and Russian supervisory authorities. Among other things, the parties wanted to have a “special focus” on offshore pipelines. – What the hell, exclaims researcher Åse Gilje Østensen at the Naval Academy and continues: Researcher Åse Gilje Østensen at the Naval Academy reacts to the Petroleum Safety Authority’s meetings with Russian authorities. Photo: The Norwegian Defense Forces – The Petroleum Safety Authority could not have known at the time that there would later be a sabotage action against gas pipelines, but they did not need to read so much of the E-service’s risk assessments to understand that here we must be safe and not share relevant information . Then it is not the time for this type of collaborative forum, she says. The researcher recalls that Russia started using gas and gas deliveries as a means of pressure and a weapon against Ukraine as early as 2006. – Then one should think that this can be done against us as well. You can’t be naive when you know which authoritarian regime sits in the Kremlin, she says. Among other things, the Petroleum Safety Authority demonstrated new, ground-breaking technology to stop oil and gas leakage from plugged wells. Photo: Screenshot The Petroleum Safety Authority emphasizes to news that the agency has never shared sensitive security information with the Russian authorities. Read the full answer further down in the case. Østensen points out that in such meetings it is very important to have clear boundaries on what to talk about and what not to talk about. – Because you can imagine what such meetings are like: You talk about a technology that is not so controversial, but then you can quickly move on to other more critical technology fields, she says. Østensen believes it is critical that we get all the facts on the table in the case. – This must be brought to light. We cannot have it so that some government agencies provide information, while others try to protect. Should the Armed Forces and the police contain a threat, but then this type of body sits and shares freely? Here, the agencies must talk to each other to a greater extent. They must be up to date on the security policy, she says. Concerned about the consequences The last documented correspondence between the Petroleum Safety Authority and Russian Rostekhnadzor comes on 18 January 2022. In an e-mail, the Petroleum Safety Authority reiterates its desire for more meetings with Russian supervisory authorities. By this time, over 100,000 Russian soldiers had been deployed near the border with Russia. The US had long since established that the Russians were planning an invasion of Ukraine within a short period of time. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) had warned one month earlier against a “violent Russian military advance”. SV deputy leader Kirsti Bergstø reacts to the time of the meeting. She now wants to take action: – I am concerned about the consequences of the collaboration between the Petroleum Safety Authority and the Russian Rostekhnadzor that news has uncovered. I will therefore take the initiative for the labor and social affairs committee to send a letter to the minister of labor in which we ask for an explanation of the actual conditions and any consequences thereof, she says. Rødt leader Bjørnar Moxnes believes that a number of questions still remain unanswered, for example whether Russian supervisory authorities visited the Norwegian continental shelf or what measures the Petroleum Safety Authority took to prevent industrial espionage. – What news uncovers here gives reason to ask whether the government, which is responsible for security and preparedness, should have intervened to ensure that this security cooperation did not lead to increased risk, says the Rødt leader. If the cooperation with Russia in the oil and gas sector continued as if nothing had happened, the government should at least explain why it was not stopped earlier, believes Rødt leader Bjørnar Moxnes. Photo: Cicilie S. Andersen / news The Petroleum Safety Authority’s Eileen Brundtland writes in a statement to news: – As far as I know, we have not had Rostekhnadzor inspect the Norwegian continental shelf. Ptil: – Strict routines In an e-mail to news, the Petroleum Safety Authority’s press contact Eileen Brundtland writes that the agency has generally followed the procedures. – The intelligence threat to Norwegian petroleum activities has been high for a long time, and Ptil is generally very vigilant about the risk of industrial espionage, writes Brundtland and continues: – We have a number of routines for this, including access control and strict procedures for the use of electronic equipment. We also have strict procedures for what information is shared or made public. Brundtland writes that the Petroleum Safety Authority’s cooperation agreements with foreign authorities, including Rostekhnadzor, are exclusively about health, environment and safety – HSE. – The purpose of sharing experiences and information about HSE is to help avoid major accidents with loss of life and large acute oil spills.
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The Petroleum Safety Authority had a meeting with the Russian authorities shortly before the invasion – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
