An unidentified object found close to the only remaining intact gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea, in this undated handout image. Danish Defence Command/Handout via REUTERS
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - An object found close to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea appeared to be a maritime buoy and does not pose a safety risk, the Danish Energy Agency said on Wednesday.
The object, which was retrieved on Tuesday by the Danish navy, was discovered during an inspection of the last remaining intact pipeline by Swiss-based operator Nord Stream 2 AG.
"Investigations indicate that the object is an empty maritime smoke buoy, which is used for visual marking. The object does not pose a safety risk," the agency said in a statement.
Last week, Denmark invited the Russian-controlled Nord Stream operator to assist in retrieving the object. A representative from Nord Stream 2 AG was present during the operation, which was carried out at a depth of 73 meters, the agency said.
(Reporting by Johannes Birkebaek, Editing by William Maclean, Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Tomasz Janowski)
