Skipavika, Norway – Peaceful\u00a0Greenpeace\u00a0kayaktivists\u00a0have\u00a0today\u00a0boarded\u00a0the\u00a0oil rig\u00a0West Hercules\u00a0at the Skipavika yard\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0West coast of Norway.\u00a0Two activists\u00a0are\u00a0on the rig\u00a0and have requested a meeting with the Rig’s captain\u00a0while\u00a010\u00a0others\u00a0are in the water\u00a0with signs that say “Same shit, new wrapping”.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0rig\u00a0is contracted by Statoil to\u00a0drill for\u00a0oil\u00a0at several wells\u00a0in the Barents Sea\u00a0this summer\u00a0and is also being\u00a0challenged in the\u00a0ongoing climate change case against the\u00a0Norwegian\u00a0Government\u00a0for opening up\u00a0new areas in the\u00a0Arctic\u00a0for\u00a0oil drilling.\u00a0[1]\u00a0Greenpeace\u00a0demands\u00a0that\u00a0Statoil suspends\u00a0all\u00a0such\u00a0drilling until there is a\u00a0final\u00a0verdict.\u00a0Nature and Youth and Greenpeace appealed the\u00a0judgment of the\u00a0Oslo District Court on February\u00a05th, 2018, and\u00a0it is therefore not yet final.<\/p>\n
“The amount of\u00a0oil and gas\u00a0that has already been found is more\u00a0than the climate can withstand,\u00a0so\u00a0it is pointless\u00a0and dangerous\u00a0to look for more. Nevertheless, Statoil is preparing for a massive\u00a0oil\u00a0exploration\u00a0operation\u00a0in the Barents Sea,”\u00a0said Truls Gulowsen, head of Greenpeace Norway.<\/p>\n
Greenpeace\u00a0Norway\u00a0holds\u00a0four\u00a0shares\u00a0in Statoil\u00a0and has, as\u00a0a\u00a0shareholder, submitted a request\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0company’s annual general meeting\u00a0in May that\u00a0they\u00a0stop exploration drilling.\u00a0Greenpeace is\u00a0skeptical about\u00a0Statoil\u00a0changing\u00a0its\u00a0name to\u00a0“Equinor”,\u00a0as the oil company had suggested recently, because it\u00a0creates\u00a0the illusion\u00a0that Statoil is going\u00a0green while\u00a0still\u00a0sending oil rigs\u00a0north to look for new oil.<\/p>\n
“Statoil now has an\u00a0unique opportunity to show that the company’s proposal to change its name to Equinor is more than\u00a0just\u00a0expensive greenwashing.\u00a0Whatever they call themselves, oil will still stain their name if they continue to pursue drilling in the Barents Sea\u00a0and are involved in several highly controversial oil projects\u00a0around\u00a0the world. They must cancel plans for exploration drilling at Korpfjell and Gj\u00f8k\u00e5sen\u00a0over\u00a0the summer, for\u00a0the\u00a0climate and environmental reasons,\u00a0and\u00a0also because\u00a0the\u00a0oil wells are subject to a legal\u00a0challenge,”\u00a0said Gulowsen.<\/p>\n
Korpfjell Deep is located in the northernmost area opened for oil exploration in Norway, close to the ice edge and within the vulnerable polar front. There\u00a0are often many birds\u00a0in the area. The bird density\u00a0and vulnerability in the area means that any oil spills may cause major\u00a0ecological\u00a0damage in a short period of time.<\/p>\n
ENDS<\/p>\n
Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n [1] Background on the case of the People v Arctic Oil can be seen here.<\/a><\/p>\n Pictures and video<\/strong>\u00a0will be uploaded here: http:\/\/media.greenpeace.org\/collection\/27MZIFJXMATVA<\/a> Contact:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Aud Hegli Nord\u00f8, Communications Manager, Greenpeace Norway, +47 41470649,\u00a0\u00a0aud.nordo@greenpeace.org<\/a><\/p>\n
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