Hands Off the Atlantic Frontier

["greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

HANDS OFF THE ATLANTIC FRONTIER:
GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS BLOCKADE OIL EXPLORATION VESSEL IN BELFAST
HARBOUR

(London) - January 22, 1998; At 12.15 hours today, two
Greenpeace activists inside a solar survival capsule prevented
BP's new offshore oil exploration ship from leaving Belfast
harbour for the Atlantic Frontier.

In the first non-violent direct action against new oil
exploration since the Kyoto summit on climate change (December
1997) the activists, supported by three inflatable boats and a
team of eight including two divers, stopped the vessel
Schiehallion from leaving port.

Schiehallion, a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading
vessel (FPSO), was to have sailed to the Atlantic Frontier (an
area of ocean wilderness to the north of Ireland) to begin
extracting new oil. 

Greenpeace said that it would not remove the blockade until the
UK Government honoured its Kyoto summit pledge to take action to
tackle climate change. Speaking from inside the solar survival
capsule, Greenpeace activist Sarah said, "Climate change is
caused by burning fossil fuels like oil. At a time when the
world should be phasing out fossil fuels, the UK Government is
actively encouraging the search for yet more. The message is
clear, no new oil, the climate can't stand it".

Greenpeace argues that far from licensing the search for more
oil reserves, the Government should be investing in renewable
energy to replace our reliance on fossil fuels. Renewable
sources of energy, such as solar, are the key to enabling 
countries to meet their Kyoto summit pledges to cut emissions of
carbon dioxide, the climate changing gas released when fossil
fuels are burned.

Today's action follows a year of protest over the Government's
decision to licence oil exploration in the Atlantic Frontier.
Throughout 1997, Greenpeace, the UK Government and oil companies
battled over the licensing in the High Court, in Parliament and
on the high seas. The process culminated in Greenpeace's August
1997 occupation of BP's Stena Dee oil platform, part of the
company's Foinaven operation. Foinaven was the first FPSO to
begin exploration in the area, Schiehallion was to be the
second.



MORE/2...



....Greenpeace activists blockade oil exploration vessel/2




As a result of the Stena Dee occupation, BP attempted to sue
Greenpeace for £1.4 million and froze the assets of both the
organisation and three individual members of staff. BP was
ultimately forced to drop the legal action against Greenpeace in
response to public pressure.

Sarah said, "Greenpeace is calling on the Government to revoke
current licences for new oil exploration in the Atlantic
Frontier. It will fail its Kyoto promise if it does not. Until
the Government takes action it falls to groups like Greenpeace
to stop new oil production and protect the climate".

The solar survival capsule used in the operation has been
secured to the bottom of the harbour. It is solar powered and
contains supplies to enable the activists to stay in place for
a considerable time. The capsule is 6 foot long and 3 foot wide
and was first used by Greenpeace when the organisation occupied
Rockall, the tiny outcrop in the middle of the Atlantic
Frontier. It is designed to withstand the worst storms that the
Atlantic can produce and was home to three activists for a total
of 48 days. Greenpeace occupied Rockall in June of last year as
part of its campaign to stop new oil exploration in the area.
The capsule was also used for the occupation of the Stena Dee
platform.

Ends


Notes to correspondents:

1.   Schiehallion was built by Harland & Wolff and is being
blockaded inside the company's building docks. The vessel is 246
metres long with a breadth of 45 metres and a depth of 27
metres. The investors in the Schiehallion field are BP, Shell
UK, Amerada Hess, Statoil, Murphy Petroleum and OMV (UK).

Schiehallion is due to begin producing oil in June of this year.

2.   The Kyoto climate summit in December 1997, brought world
governments together to agree legally binding cuts in the
emission of greenhouse gases, notably carbon dioxide.

For more information:
http://www.greenpeace.org