Greenpeace Boards Arctic Offshore Rig
Six Greenpeace activists boarded a Shell oil drilling ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and vowed to stay there to protest the company's plans to drill above the Arctic Circle, the environmental organization said.
They boarded as the drill rig was transported across the Pacific Ocean toward Seattle, where it will be staged for drilling on Shell leases in Alaska waters.
Royal Dutch Shell confirmed that the protesters "illegally boarded the Polar Pioneer" about 750 miles northwest of Hawaii on Monday morning. It called the protest a "stunt" that jeopardizes both the crew and the protesters themselves.
The 400-foot Polar Pioneer, owned by Transocean Ltd., was on board a heavy-lift vessel about 750 miles northwest of Hawaii when the activists approached in inflatable boats and used climbing gear to get on board, Greenpeace spokesman Travis Nichols said.
They plan to unfurl a banner in protest of Arctic offshore drilling but have no plans to interfere with the ship's navigations, he said.
The six, from the USA, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden and Austria, boarded the rig from the Greenpeace ship Esperanza.
Cassady Sharp, a spokeswoman for Greenpeace said that the protesters had enough food and other supplies to remain atop the Polar Pioneer until it reached the Port of Seattle, which has signed a lease to host Shell's Arctic drilling fleet.
"They're going to stay up there as long as they can," Sharp told the station. "They're not trying to interfere in the drilling. They're just trying to make their presence known."
Shell USA spokeswoman Kelly Op De Weegh said the company officials have met with groups that oppose energy exploration in Alaska waters.
"We respect their views and value the dialogue," Op De Weegh wrote. "We will not, however, condone the illegal tactics employed by Greenpeace. Nor will we allow these stunts to distract from preparations underway to execute a safe and responsible exploration program."
