On Monday morning, an earthquake was registered between Stad and the Faroe Islands in the North Sea. The Snorre B oil platform was closed as a precautionary measure after the earthquake.
Gisle Ledel Johannessen, a press spokesperson for Equinor, confirmed the information to NTB.
“Those on the platform felt the quake, but no one was injured, and they are taken care of. The feedback is that the mood is calm and that there is no panic. The platform is closed as a precautionary measure. So far, we have not received any reports that installations are damaged, neither on the platform nor along the seabed.”
Johannessen says submarines will be sent out to investigate the installations on the seabed.
Most powerful earthquake since 1989
The earthquake occurred at 6:32 AM Norwegian time. According to the Norwegian National Seismic Network, the quake was measured at between 4.4 and 4.5 on the magnitude scale. NORSAR has measured the earthquake at 4.7.
“There are a number of divergent figures, and it will vary throughout the day. That is common. The European earthquake center has registered an earthquake of 5.1,” CEO of NORSAR, Anne Strømmen Lycke, told NTB.
The director added that the earthquake is the strongest that has been registered since 1989.
No injuries reported
Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) writes that the earthquake could be felt throughout Vestland county. People also felt the earthquake in Rogaland.
“The quake could be felt throughout Western Norway, far into the fjord. People also felt it in Stavanger,” senior engineer at the earthquake station at the University of Bergen, Berit Marie Storheim, told the newspaper VG.
Lars Ottemoller, professor of seismology at the University of Bergen, told the newspaper Bergens Tidende that earthquakes as large as 4.4 are only registered approximately every ten years in Western Norway.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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