Greenpeace takes action on transport ship with Shell drilling rig

According to the environmental organization, Greenpeace activists boarded a ship transporting a Shell drilling rig in protest. The White Marlin transport vessel belongs to the Dutch marine services company Boskalis. According to Greenpeace, four activists managed to climb onto it with ropes in the Atlantic Ocean near the Canary Islands.

Activists come from Argentina, Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom. Two more failed to ride the White Marlin. The ship carries a large platform that can be used for oil and gas extraction, the 34,000-tonne Shell Penguins FPSO. FPSO is a floating production platform. Boskalis reported in early December that the ship carrying the platform departed from Qingdao, China. It’s on its way to Norwegian waters.

Greenpeace’s message in the maritime protest read: “Stop digging. Start paying.” The organization believes that Shell should stop extracting fossil fuels, because they contribute to global warming, and must pay for the consequences of this warming.

The action comes two days before Shell’s annual figures for 2022 are due to be submitted.

A Shell spokesperson said Greenpeace’s move raises serious security concerns as people climb onto a dhow in rough weather. The company says it respects everyone’s right to expression, but it must be done safely for the activists themselves and others.

In addition, Shell states that projects such as the Penguins are of great importance for the UK’s supply of oil and gas. According to the company, it is more expensive to import energy from elsewhere in the world, which also leads to more emissions. According to Shell, domestic production of oil and gas is vital to the UK’s energy security.