Greenpeace protestors boarded a floating oil platform owned by Shell hoisting the message of ‘Stop drilling, start paying.”
This is after the energy giant revealed the highest profits in 115 years – at $39.9 billion (£32.2bn) for 2022.
The four climate campaigners from the UK, Turkey, US and Argentina went onto the floating oil platform near the Canary Islands which was being transported 12,000 nautical miles to the Shetland Islands.
Using ropes to climb onto the deck from their three boats, Greenpeace stressed the protest was peaceful.
A Shell spokesperson said: “These actions are causing real safety concerns, with a number of people boarding a moving vessel in rough conditions. We respect the right of everyone to express their point of view. It’s essential they do that with their safety and that of others in mind.”
One of the protestors who boarded the platform, Usnea Granger, explained her involvement: “I’m originally from the United States and we’ve had so many climate catastrophes. It’s hard to keep track.
“I’ve had friends who have been forced to flee their homes with no warning from forest fires. I’ve had friends who need to leave because of hurricanes and never go back. I know farmers who had to leave the farms where they raised their kids because of drought.”
One of the other Greenpeace campaigners, Yeb Saño, added: “When Shell extracts fossil fuels it causes a ripple of death, destruction and displacement around the world, having the worst impact on people who are least to blame for the climate crisis.”
The platform was being transported to an area where Shell is reportedly looking to produce new oil and gas from an untapped reservoir near the Penguins oil and gas field.
It is expected this field, when redeveloped, could produce up to 45,000 barrels of oil every day.
Shell said oil and gas was still needed whilst “the transition to low carbon energy gathers pace.”
The spokesperson continued: “The new floating vessel will allow production from the Penguins field to continue to provide the necessary energy that the UK needs.”
The oil and gas giant stressed that 75% of the £25 billion it intends to invest in the UK’s energy infrastructure during the next decade is for zero-carbon and renewable technologies.
Greenpeace claims that the oil and gas taken from Penguins field could create more emissions than the entire yearly output of Norway – 45 million tonnes of carbon when burned.
