Greenpeace activists climbed down from the West Hercules drilling rig in Norway, owned by Seadrill, opposing to oil and gas explorations in light of the protection of the environment. The rig, Norwegian Arctic, is to be used the following month by Equinor for the exploration of oil and gas.
Mainly, the activists boarded on the rig on Monday, April 29, and evacuated the platform one day later.
The drilling is licensed by the Norwegian government but under scrutiny from a constitutional lawsuit to end Arctic oil drilling in Norway.
Greenpeace activist Karianne Andersen commented
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Four climbers had ascended the oil rig while four more were at the base in kayaks. Others were protesting from the shore holding banners saying ‘ban new oil’ and ‘people versus oil’.
The activists were from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.
The West Hercules oil rig is now anchored off the Norwegian town Hammerfest, continental Europe’s northernmost town. It has been commissioned by Norwegian multinational energy giant Equinor to drill at the site of LNG plant, Snoehvit.
The oil rig is due to drill oil from the Korpfjell Deep well in the Barents Sea after receiving permission from the Petroleum Safety Authority earlier this year.
