Oil rig occupation continues

INVERNESS, Scotland -- Nine environmental activists are still occupying an U.S.-owned oil rig off the Scottish coast in a protest against global warming.

The nine Greenpeace members are trying to prevent the rig from leaving Scotland's east coast to drill for oil in the North Sea.

Police arrested 12 protesters shortly after the occupation of the 180-foot (55-metre) high Drillstar rig on Sunday.

But the remaining nine have positioned themselves about half way up the U.S. oil giant Jet's rig.

The activists have accused U.S. oil company Conoco, which owns the Jet brand name, of contributing to global warning which it blamed on this year's floods in Britain.

Greenpeace says Conoco has failed to use green fuels such as bio-diesel.

The protest is the group's first since last week's decision by U.S. President George W. Bush to ditch the 1997 Kyoto treaty aimed at curbing greenhouse gasses believed by many scientists to stoke global warming.

A Greenpeace spokesman said the remaining protesters were "tired and cold but have managed to secure themselves in a shelter where they plan to stay for the night."

Conoco, which leases the rig in Cromarty Firth, an inlet of the North Sea 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of Inverness, called the conduct of the protesters "dangerous and irresponsible."

"By staging this stunt at such a time and in a relatively small and crowded inshore anchorage, these people are endangering not only their own lives but those of the rig crew," Conoco spokesman Keith Webster said.

"They are also creating the possibility of an accident with potentially serious environmental consequences."

A spokesman for Northern Constabulary said: "Throughout the operation the primary concern has been the safety of protesters, oil workers and police officers.

"So long as a protest continues and there remains a safety risk to protesters and port users, we will maintain a presence."

Captain George Dobbie, harbour master for Cromarty Firth Port Authority, condemned Greenpeace's actions.

"We recognise the right of environmental organisations to state their case but targeted the oil industry in this way threatens to impact on the economy of the North of Scotland, already badly affected by the loss of thousands of oil related construction jobs and the down turn in tourism," he said.

"Protests like this could lead to rig operators taking their units else where. Rig work is vital to the Cromarty Firth area both securing employment and work related spin offs."

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Greenpeace International
Conoco
Northern Constabulary

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