Drilling rig leaves to work on North Sea site “The Greenpeace shipArctic Sunrisethen shadowed therig”

A rig that was occupied by Greenpeace protesters in the Cromarty Firth has finally left its home to drill for oil in the North Sea.

Five demonstrators attached to the global organisation occupied the rig for almost four days last year – costing the operators and the taxpayer more than £500,000.

The environmentalists scaled the TransOceanowned vessel Paul B Loyd, which was berthed in the Cromarty Firth in June 2019 ready to sail out to BP’s Vorlich North Sea oilfield, 150 miles east of Aberdeen.

But the journey was halted when the activists chained themselves to the rig from June 9 to June 13, leading to a major police operation to remove them from the platform.

The Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise then shadowed the rig into the North Sea, and the group said the rig was forced to turn back towards land.

The 12- day protest resulted in numerous arrests.

Last month Greenpeace UK was fined £80,000 for breaching a court interdict during the 12day protest.

Tr a n s o c e a n had secured an interim interdict – or temporary ban – on anyone connected with Greenpeace either boarding the rig or coming within 500 metres of it.

Now the semisubmersible drilling rig is expected to stay on the UK Continental Shelf in a deal with Chrysaor, with operations starting in October.