Norwegian police have responded to a threat made by telephone against the Nyhamna gas processing plant, one of Europe's largest energy export facilities. The police later said the incident had been resolved, without providing any further details. 

The threat early on Thursday came amid heightened concerns about the security of oil and gas infrastructure following suspected sabotage of Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines to Europe. The gas prices across Europe and the UK spiked on reports of the incident before retreating when police said the situation was under control.

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Plant operator Gassco and offshore producers Shell and Equinor said output had not been interrupted. "It was a threat made by telephone," said Odd Joergen Nilssen, the mayor of Aukra municipality, where the plant is located.

The Norwegian military Home Guard has been guarding the facility since authorities boosted security at Norwegian oil and gas installations in the wake of the Nord Stream explosions on September 26.

"The situation at the Ormen Lange plant is cleared. There will be a press statement," local police said, referring to one of the gas fields that serves the plant.

Norway is now Europe's largest gas supplier, following a sharp reduction in flows from Russia. "The gas transport from Nyhamna is running as planned," said a Gassco spokesperson.

The Nyhamna plant processes natural gas from the offshore Ormen Lange field, operated by Shell, and the Aasta Hansteen field, operated by Equinor. It is a major supplier to the UK via the Langeled pipeline.

In recent years, gas produced from Ormen Lange has accounted for up to 20 percent of the UK's gas consumption, according to Shell. Nyhamna has an export capacity of some 84 million standard cubic metres of gas per day, according to data from Gassco.