‘Polar Pioneer’ on the move. Activists detained

Exploration & Production

'Polar Pioneer' on the move. Activists detained

Shell-operated Polar Pioneer semi-submersible drilling rig is apparently on the move out of Seattle, with Alaska as its final destination.

However, the move is not going smoothly for Shell, as the environmentalists and ‘kayaktivists’ are trying to block the passage, protesting against the company’s Arctic drilling plans.

According to a live tv channel link shared by Greenpeace, several activists appear to have been removed from their kayaks and detained by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Shell plans to spend $1 billion dollars for its drilling campaign in Alaska this summer, hoping to uncover what are believed to be vast oil reserves under the seabed of the Chukchi Sea, however, the environmental organizations have warned that a potential oil spill in the arctic environment would be catastrophic.

Update:

Greenpeace is no longer streaming the video of the protests as the US Coast Guard has detained the videographer.

    Offshore Energy Today Staff