Norway has sent soldiers to protect large onshore oil and gas refineries amid suspicions that sabotage was the cause of leaks at the Nord Stream pipelines, Reuters reported.

Norway, Europe's biggest gas supplier and a major oil exporter, last week sent naval and air forces to patrol offshore oil fields and announced it would get help from Britain, Germany and France to protect them.

At the request of the Norwegian police, the Norwegian Militia, a rapid mobilization force, on Monday began deploying troops to businesses responsible for refining and exporting oil and gas.

Although the Norwegian government said it was not aware of any specific threats to the oil and gas infrastructure, it did deem it advisable to step up security measures and try to reassure workers.

A spokesman for the armed forces declined to say how many soldiers were deployed to guard the facilities, citing security concerns.