INA's offshore gas platform, which ended up on the seabed after Saturday's tempest in the Adriatic, does not pose a threat to sea traffic and there is no fear of sea pollution, Croatia's Assistant Sea and Transport Minister, Sinisa Orlic, said on Thursday.

The gas platform “Ivana D”, which had been located 50 kilometres northwest of Pula, disappeared on Saturday when the region was hit by strong winds and high tides. It was found on Thursday morning, both the INA oil and gas company and the ministry reported on Thursday afternoon.

The search for the missing platform was conducted with the help of the Junak ship and its underwater robot.

Orlic underscored that the current position of the platform on the seabed does not currently present a threat to the safety of sea travel in that part of the Adriatic.

Ivana D is in a zone where navigation is prohibited, and it sank to the depth of more than 25 metres, so if even a vessel happens to pass through that area, the sunken platform will not threaten it, according to Orlic.

He also reassured the public that no gas had leaked from the platform and there was no threat of pollution.

“It is still not known what caused the platform to sink, we are waiting for the investigation to be completed,” Orlic said, adding that gas pipelines were not jeopardised.

He said that INA would be told first to eliminate all pollution-prone items, such as accumulators, from the platform, and after that consideration would be given to plans to pull out the sunken platform or to some other options.