USD 92.2628

-0.33

EUR 99.7057

-0.56

Brent 86.99

+0.1

Natural gas 1.752

-0

1662

Austrian OMV hit by Greenpeace protests in New Zealand

Austrian OMV hit by Greenpeace protests in New Zealand

Plymouth, December 9 - Neftegaz.RU. Austrian oil company OMV has been under attack by Greenpeace activists in New Zealand at 2 separate occasions. 1st, the protesters boarded OMV’s supply vessel at a port in Timaru and then moved the protests in front of OMV’s offices in Plymouth.

Activists spent 3 days last week protesting in front of OMV’s Plymouth offices. This protest was preceded by an occupation of OMV’s support vessel Skandi Atlantic in late November. 30 people, incl. a team of Greenpeace climbers, on November 24 climbed aboard the support vessel for OMV’s oil rig and some locked themselves to the ship to stop it from leaving the port.

According to Greenpeace, the Bahamas-flagged Skandi Atlantic was preparing to leave the Port of Timaru and travel north to meet an oil rig commissioned by OMV, now stationed off the coast of Taranaki. Greenpeace climate-energy campaigner, Amanda Larsson, said: “By occupying OMV’s henchboat, we’re delaying the monster rig from drilling for new oil in the middle of a climate emergency.”

After 50 hours of occupying the support vessel in Timaru to prevent it from leaving the port, the last 10 protesters were forcibly removed by the police on November 26. However, Greenpeace did not stop there. The environmentalist organization then announced its intentions to continue the protest in front of OMV’s offices in Plymouth.

On December 2 protesters formed a human barricade around OMV’s offices in Taranaki – shutting it down. The activists called on OMV to leave New Zealand.
The 3-day occupation of OMV headquarters wrapped up on Dec.4. Greenpeace claimed that at least 300 of the oil giant’s staff were forced to stay away from the office during the protest.

However, the activists have left OMV a parting gift. They’ve installed an outdoor pop-up museum in OMV’s front car park, full of artifacts from the oil industry’s past. Greenpeace stated that OMV is about to begin drilling for new oil and gas off Taranaki, and has plans to move into the untouched, deep seas of the Great South Basin off Dunedin afterward.

Larsson said: “We are encouraging OMV executives to help New Zealanders make oil history by surrendering their permits to drill in New Zealand waters. We can always find a place for it in our oil museum.”

According to information on OMV’s New Zealand website, the company’s exploration team is actively working towards a drilling campaign in the Taranaki basin in 2019/2020 aiming to grow OMV’s and New Zealand’s reserves through new discoveries. This exploration drilling campaign is supported by the acquisition of the largest seismic survey ever acquired in the Taranaki Basin.

Follow us on Facebook
Advertising at neftegaz.ru

Subscribe to our newsletter

of the best materials Neftegaz.RU

* Incorrect E-Mail Address

By clicking the "Subscribe" button I accept the "Agreement on the processing of personal data"


Advertising at neftegaz.ru