The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is leaking and pressure has dropped on Nord Stream 1 and 2, authorities say

• Danish authorities have detected a gas leak on the Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline.
• They have warned ships to not sail within five nautical miles of the pipeline.

Danish authorities have detected a gas leak on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and are warning ships to not sail within five nautical miles of it.

"A leak has been discovered Monday from the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Danish part of the Baltic Sea," the Danish Energy Agency said in an announcement. "The Danish Maritime Authority has released a navigational warning and established a prohibitive no sail zone around the area."

The Swedish Maritime Authority also issued warning for two leaks "very near each other" on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in Swedish and Danish waters northeast of Bornholm.

The German government said it's working with Danish authorities and local law enforcement to determine why the pressure of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has dropped, according to Reuters.

There's also been a pressure drop in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that transports natural gas from Russia to Germany. In a statement, Nord Stream AG said it is investigating the drop in pressure.

Klaus Mueller, the president of the German energy network regulator, wrote on Twitter that the pressure drop on both pipelines is a"tense situation."

The situation surrounding both Nord Stream pipelines could exacerbate Europe's energy crisis this winter, as Russia typically supplies about 40% of Europe's natural gas, most of which is transported via pipelines.

In 2021, Russia exported about 155 billion cubic meters of the fuel to Europe — more than one-third of which came from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, according to Reuters.

In early September, Russian state-controlled gas giant Gazprom completely turned off gas supply to Europe via Nord Stream 1. Gazprom and the Kremlin have consistently insisted that the slowing of gas flows was due to technical reasons.

The Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline runs parallel to Nord Stream 1. Construction on the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany was completed in September 2021. The pipeline was to double Russia's gas flow to Europe. However, Nord Stream 2 has never been operational because Germany shelved the project in February, days before Russia invaded Ukraine.

European natural gas prices rose Tuesday as the reports of the leak emerged, after hitting a two-month low Monday for its fourth day of losses. Dutch TTF gas futures, the European benchmark, were up 6.9% on the ICE index at last check.