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Oil rig stand-off which started in Cromarty Firth brought to a close with fresh protests


By Hector MacKenzie

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Greenpeace campaigner Sarah North holds a banner whilst floating in front of BP rig before the protest in the North Sea was brought to a conclusion. Picture: Greenpeace
Greenpeace campaigner Sarah North holds a banner whilst floating in front of BP rig before the protest in the North Sea was brought to a conclusion. Picture: Greenpeace

A STAND-OFF between Greenpeace and BP which started in the Cromarty Firth has been brought to a conclusion with a series of protests targetting the company in Europe and the United States.

A number of arrests had been made during six days of protests in the Cromarty Firth which saw activists occupying a Transocean rig contracted to BP and destined for the Vorlich field in the North Sea.

Activists in turn served what they called ‘People’s Climate Injunctions’ to BP headquarters in London and Aberdeen calling on the oil giant and the industry to “immediately end the search for new fossil fuels and start a rapid and just transition to become 100 per cent renewable energy companies”.

Oil & Gas UK, the leading representative organisation for the UK offshore oil and gas industry, however said there had been no winners as a result of the "stunt" which also saw an activist swimming in front of the rig in a last-ditch bid to halt its progress towards a field understood to contain reserves of 30 million barrels.

OGUK stakeholder and communications director Gareth Wynn said: "There are no winners as a result of this stunt, which both put safety at risk and failed to produce any solutions to how we can achieve the net zero future we all want to see." He called Greenpeace's arguments fundamentally flawed.

He said: “We live in a world with ever-growing demand for energy which at the same time needs an ever-reducing carbon footprint. Our industry is committed to help find practical solutions to one of the biggest challenges we will face. It’s time for deeds not words and we’d encourage anyone with a serious interest to work with us.”

The coordinated protests brought to an end 12 days in which Greenpeace says it thwarted BP’s attempts to instal a new oil rig in the North Sea. A series of interdicts were brought against Greenpeace, the climbers and the vessel the Arctic Sunrise by BP and its rig contractor Transocean in an attempt to end the protest.

Despite that, three sets of Greenpeace UK climbers prevented the rig from leaving the Cromarty Firth. This was followed by a further stand-off in the North Sea between the rig and the Greenpeace ship, the Arctic Sunrise. That prevented the rig from reaching the drill site on schedule.

John Sauven, executive director at Greenpeace UK said: "For the past 12 days we’ve seen what one Greenpeace ship and a handful of dedicated activists can achieve in the face of a giant climate-wrecking company. But they weren’t alone. There’s a movement of millions calling on companies like BP to clean up their act and truly address the climate emergency."

The protest also saw activists from Ross-shire join a demonstration at a BP fuel station in Inverness.


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