GREENPEACE STEPS UP GLOBAL CAMPAIGN TO STOP OIL EXPLORATION AND PREVENT DANGEROUS CLIMATE CHANGE

3 July 1998

London --- Greenpeace today stepped up its global campaign to stop new oil exploration and prevent dangerous climate change with an 11 hour disruption of oil giants' Statoil, Mobil and Enterprise' oil search in the North Atlantic, north of Scotland.

The action began at 20.25 hours yesterday evening when three Greenpeace activists placed themselves in the water in front of seismic testing vessel Geco Diamond, operating 100 miles from the Scottish coast. The activists, from England, Scotland and France held pole buoys reading "Wind Not Oil."

Greenpeace has been campaigning globally to stop oil exploration since 1997, to expose the hypocrisy of Governments opening up new oil frontiers at a time when climate protection demands that they phase out fossil fuels.

The Geco Diamond was attempting to carry out a seismic survey of the seabed to assess the presence of oil, on behalf of Statoil, Mobil and Enterprise. All three companies are heavy investors in this new oil frontier spending up to millions of pounds each in the search for deep-water oil. None of them have renewable energy operations.

Today's action follows Greenpeace's protest at the northern edge of the Atlantic Frontier last month when a Greenpeace vessel confronted Shell and Statoil's exploration rig, the Ocean Alliance, off the coast of Norway. Greenpeace has also recently launched its second expedition to the Arctic which will document climate change impacts and protest the development of this new frontier by UK oil company BP and others.

Speaking from on board the MV Greenpeace, Campaigner Robbie Kelman said, "Governments such as the United Kingdom should be licensing offshore wind and not pandering to the oil company agenda and licensing the search for more oil. These companies are heading in the wrong direction. Renewable energy such as wind is economically viable now and has the potential to supply all energy needs."

The oil industry is predicted by industry analysts to spend $94 billion globally in 1998 on oil and gas exploration and production, which represents an 11 per cent increase on last year and is the second highest growth in spending during the last decade. (1) "Despite the historic Kyoto climate agreement, it's business-as-usual for the oil companies and governments by failing to take action, are dancing to their tune," said Kelman.

In Britain, Norway, Ireland, US, and many other countries governments are actively opening up new fossil fuel frontiers, despite their commitment to climate protection. "The Wild West brawl for oil has to stop and the phase in of renewables has to begin," said Kelman.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Greenpeace Press Office in London on 44-171-865 8255/6/7
Greenpeace International climate campaigner Kirsty Hamilton 31-6-5312 8908.
Greenpeace International press officer Mika Railo 31-20-524 9546.

(1) Industry survey by oil industry analysts Salomon Barney Smith - Oil and Gas Journal March 1998.