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– He doesn’t look like an amateur – VG


ILLUSTRATIVE PHOTO: Kristin’s camp in the Norwegian Sea, which is one of several places where unidentified drones have been observed. Press photo: Marit Homedal / Equinor

Several unidentified drones have recently been observed on the Norwegian continental shelf. Equinor holds his cards close to his chest, while an expert does not rule out that this involves information gathering.

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There have been at least six unidentified drone observations within the Norwegian Shelf Safe Zone on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, reports Stavanger Aftenblad.

Two of these were observed on September 17, near the Kristin field and the Gina Krog oil and gas field respectively. On September 20, another drone was observed less than 50 meters from the Heidrun platform. This was written by Stavanger Aftenblad.

Kristin’s camp and Heidrun’s platform are located in the Norwegian Sea. Gina Krog is located in the North Sea.

There was also a possible drone sighting around the Ringhorne platform in the North Sea earlier this week, but it has not been confirmed that it was a drone.

It has not been specified which type of drones are involved, nor what were the purposes behind the flights.

Also Never again And NRK he mentioned the matter.

Eskil Eriksen, a spokesperson for Equinor, writes in an email to VG that, as far as safety is concerned, they do not want to publish details on measures or which installations have made observations of unidentified drones.

– We have made observations of unidentified drones in some of our installations. These are incidents that we take seriously and report the observations to the Norwegian authorities, the Oil Safety Authority and the police. We are in dialogue with the authorities, who are following up on the observations, writes Eriksen.

The Sør-West Police District has launched an investigation into the case, writes NRK.

DRONE: This DJI Matrice drone was used in connection with the rapid clay landslide in Gjerdrum on December 30, 2020.

Possible collection of information

Social security professor at the University of Stavanger, Odd Einar Olsen, tells VG that it is unusual with so many drone observations on the Norwegian continental shelf.

– When they’ve been seen in so many installations, you can start wondering if anyone is looking for something, but that’s just speculation, says Olsen.

PROFESSOR: Odd Einar Olsen says it’s unusual that so many drones have been seen in the North Sea.

Lars Peder Haga, an associate professor at Forsvarets högskole Luftkrigsskolen, tells VG that it could be a hobby drone that someone has brought with them, on the platform or on a nearby ship.

– The oil industry has a very established safety culture, so it seems a bit strange. Besides, I know that fishing boats use drones to search for fish, but I don’t know how this is ascertained in the North Sea, says Haga.

– There is also, of course, the possibility of someone engaging in information gathering and looking for details on platforms, but it seems like an amateur to do so in daylight at the flight height in question, where you are almost certainly seen – but this can We can’t rule it out, says Haga.

OTHER POSSIBILITIES: Lars Peder Haga says drones can have different origins.

– They don’t look like amateurs

Professor Olsen explains that drones are a brand new type of technology, for which the authorities have drawn up various regulations.

– In principle, you should not be able to fly on such installations without permission. As this technology is developing and there are constantly new areas of use, the demands for drone pilots are getting better and better, says Olsen.

The professor suspects that experienced people have sent the drones.

– They don’t look like amateurs playing with their little hobby, says Olsen.

A solvable problem

Associate Professor Haga says it’s not unusual for drones to be used within the country’s borders.

– Within the borders of the country there have been regular sightings of unidentified drones in connection with military exercises. When someone has seen a drone, people often start to panic and report everything from lights, street lamps to planes, Haga says.

It should also be possible to solve the problem with drones in the North Sea, Haga believes.

– If you can say something about which drone it is, you can also say something about its distance and then look at what ships are in the area. With the right equipment, you can manage to find the transmitter that controls the drone. This is a problem that can be solved if desired, says Haga.

HERE THE BIRD ATTACKS A DRONE – WATCH THE VIDEO:

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