The operator of the damaged Russia-to-Germany gas pipeline Nord Stream 1 said on Tuesday that is has so far been unable to conduct its own inspection, more than a week after suspected sabotage triggered massive leaks.
Nord Stream AG, based in the the Swiss city of Zug, said it cannot visit the underwater Baltic Sea site due to a lack of permits.
Powerful blasts were recorded by underwater monitors on September 26, the same day that pressure dropped on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines.
Natural gas - composed mostly of planet-heating methane - began rapidly escaping, even though neither pipeline was in operation amid an energy stand-off between the EU and Russia.
The unexplained incidents come amid sky-high tensions between Europe and Russia over the war in Ukraine.
The leaks are located in Sweden and Denmark's Exclusive Economic Zones. The two countries have been conducting investigations and have closed off the affected waters.
According to Nord Stream AG, the Danish authorities expect the inquiry to take more than 20 working days to be processed. The company did not say when a permit was requested.
According to Tuesday's statement, Nord Stream AG has contracted a company from Norway to investigate the leaks. The required vessel was also needed a permit from the Norwegian Foreign Ministry to be deployed.
