Norway gets biggest earthquake since 1989, some oil production halted

Norway registered its biggest North Sea earthquake in years early on Monday, a tremor registering between magnitude 4.4 and 5.1, 160 kilometres west of its coastline.

It was the country’s biggest earthquake since 1989, according to the NORSAR seismological institute, which put the magnitude at 4.7.

Meanwhile, a Scandinavian-wide seismological network said it registered between 4.4 and 4.5.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said 5.1.
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The disruption was felt in the province of Vestland, which lay closest to the epicentre.

Norwegian oil firm Equinor also shut down production on a nearby oil platform.

The quake was felt on the Snorre B platform, but there was no damage reported in the area, and Equinor spokesperson said.

“When we’re certain that the conditions for normal operations are secure, then production will resume,’’ the spokesperson wrote.

Anne Strommen Lycke, the director of NORSAR, said no significant damage was reported, nor was there a reason to worry about tsunamis.
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