Greenpeace Activists Removed from Australian Gas Rig After Protest
Two demonstrators were taken into custody by Australian Border Force officers after occupying a floating platform at Woodside's Scarborough gas site.
Australian Border Force officers took two Greenpeace activists into custody on Sunday after they occupied a floating platform at Woodside's Scarborough gas site, located approximately 375 kilometers off the coast of Karratha in Western Australia. The pair had spent the night on the 70,000-tonne platform after gaining access around 5:45 a.m. on Saturday, protesting what they described as environmental threats to the nearby Scott Reef.
According to Greenpeace, a police helicopter landed on the rig, and the activists removed themselves from their equipment before being taken into custody. As of Sunday afternoon, no charges had been filed. Greenpeace Australia Pacific chief executive David Ritter stated that the protesters' actions highlighted an unacceptable risk to Scott Reef.
A spokesperson for Greenpeace's ship, the Rainbow Warrior, called it "unacceptable to have any infrastructure like this anywhere near a coral reef that is home to endangered species." The spokesperson added, "We've seen [the activists] put into handcuffs and taken away… we are so proud of the actions that these brave volunteers have undertaken."
Woodside, however, denied the protest was peaceful, asserting that it endangered the activists, Woodside staff, contractors, and law enforcement responders, in addition to risking the facility and the environment. "The activists' conduct is not peaceful. It is dangerous, reckless and illegal," a company spokesperson stated.
The Scarborough Energy Project is nearing completion, with its first liquefied natural gas production anticipated by the end of 2026. The project involves eight wells, with an additional thirteen planned over the field's lifespan. The floating production unit arrived at the site in mid-January after being transported from China.
Rainbow Warrior Captain Hettie Geenen described watching the activists scale the structure as "powerful." She noted that prior to the protest, the Rainbow Warrior had visited Scott Reef, where the crew observed a healthy reef ecosystem teeming with marine life.