Greenpeace activists board Gazprom's 'Prirazlomnaya' Arctic oil platform
Posted on 08/24/2012 4:15:38 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Greenpeace activists on Friday scaled the sides of an Arctic oil platform owned by Russian group Gazprom to draw attention to the dangers of drilling in one of the world's last pristine reserves.
Two Gazprom helicopters hovered over the group and periodically sprayed them with pressurised streams of ice water as they hung down on ropes from the side of Gazprom's huge red Prirazlomnaya platform, due to start commercial operations next year.
Greenpeace activists board Gazprom's 'Prirazlomnaya' Arctic oil platform
"They're hosing us," Greenpeace International's Executive Director Kumi Naidoo tweeted, while the team held up bright yellow signs reading "Save the Arctic!" and "Stop Gazprom!"
Naidoo said he did not expect coast guards to reach the remote spot of the inhospitable sea until Saturday and posted pictures of the team setting up swinging tents in which they planned to spend the night and have dinner.
The daring raid comes as Russia takes the lead from other Arctic energy powers in exploiting previously untouched territory for what is believed to be one of the world's largest holdings of recoverable oil and natural gas.
Greenpeace Executive Director Kumi Naidoo (bottom) gives a thumbs up
Gazprom's independent project is due to kick off next year just as fellow state oil firm Rosneft begins its own initial explorations with new partner ExxonMobil.
The area -- also the subject of territorial rows with resource rivals Canada and Norway -- is becoming especially attractive as the size of the ice shelf shrinks and conflicts continue to rattle energy producers in the Middle East.
Greenpeace said its team reached Gazprom's floating production base by launching a pre-dawn sneak attack by inflatable speedboats from its ship Arctic Sunrise and then climbing aboard using mooring lines.
Footage shot by one of the crew showed the sea calm but draped in metallic clouds as the tiny bright orange craft sped through unguarded waters toward the towering crane-mounted station.
"Six climbers have taken up positions on the structure and have interrupted the platform's operations," the group said in a statement.
The state-owned firm immediately denied any impact on the platform's operations and said the activists had turned down an offer to enter the base for talks.
"They were invited aboard the platform for a constructive dialogue," a Gazprom spokesman told Russian news agencies.
"But they refused and said they would prefer to hang off the platform instead."
Gazprom next year will become the first company to start commercial drilling in the Arctic when it launches offshore operations in the southeastern section of the Barents Sea.
The holding's base runs just west of the developments being pursued jointly by ExxonMobil and Rosneft in an area viewed by the Kremlin as the main source of Russia's oil and gas in the new century.
But critics warn that Gazprom's drilling is extremely risky because the platform is sealed in ice for most of the year and has to work smoothly in temperatures that often plunge to minus 50 degrees Celsius (minus 58 Fahrenheit).
The Gazprom unit plans to drill and process oil before injecting it into tankers -- operations that have never been performed in such an inhospitable climate before.
Critics say the risk of such work far outweighs the benefits it may offer either the Russian government or consumers through cheaper fuel.
"The Prirazlomnaya platform will produce no more than seven million tonnes of oil a year," Greenpeace Russia director Vladimir Chuprov told Moscow Echo radio.
"And the country needs to produce 500 million tonnes a year."
Mess with the Russians, and they’re asking for big trouble.
greenpeace hasn’t saved the world yet. They have achieved absolutely nothing. But there’s some big bucks to take from “air heads”.
Greenpeace’s rubber speedboats used Russian oil to burn Russian gasoline to get to their Russian protest of Russian drilling.
F’em.
Greenpeace’s rubber speedboats used Russian oil to burn Russian gasoline to get to their Russian protest of Russian drilling.
F’em.
My Russian is a bit rusty, but I think that sign says “Spetznaz Shoot Here.”
Greenpeace’s rubber speedboats used Russian oil to burn Russian gasoline to get to their Russian protest of Russian drilling.
F’em.
Greenpeace’s rubber speedboats used Russian oil to burn Russian gasoline to get to their Russian protest of Russian drilling.
F’em.
Greenpeace Protesters Disappear
Siberian Salt Quota Increased
Cut their ropes, arrest ‘em if they survive and charge ‘em with piracy. They can share a prison with Pussy Riot.
The Russians might decide to go "French" on them.
I hope they carried freezer zip loc bags to put their balls in.
Much like the ACLU, Greenspeace was once an honorable organization to belong to. It is no more. Today, the people who boarded the rig should be arrested, charged with trespass and treated accordingly. They are not honorable. They are not even decent. They are thugs and should be treated as such.
The greenpeace jerk said “they’re hosing us”.
I say good, keep it up Ruskies, the green movement has been hosing America via the EPA for years now.
It’s good to see someone stand up to the lefties, and sorry to say our weak kneed society cannot.
I like the Russians more and more with each passing day.
“The Prirazlomnaya platform will produce no more than seven million tonnes of oil a year,” Greenpeace Russia director Vladimir Chuprov told Moscow Echo radio.
“And the country needs to produce 500 million tonnes a year.”
So they only need 71 more platforms...
Well, they could hosed they clowns down with 762. Would that have made them happier?
Ain't it amazin' what a 25 mm chain gun can do to an inflatable...???
Looks like some Liberals are gonna get shot by some Russians...
Now....I never thought there would be a day I would say that! The former Reds shooting at Liberals...
“They’re hosing us”
I would have been ‘hosing them with a shotgun’ & reloading as fast as I could.
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